LIBRARY 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

SANTA  BARBARA 

PRESENTED  BY 
CARROLL  PURSELL 


/ 


<£- 


MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS 

A  STUDY  OF  CHILD  LIFE 

BEFORE  AND  AFTER  BIRTH,  AND  THEIR  EFFECT  UPON  INDIVIDUAL 
LIFE  AND  CHARACTER. 


A  TREATISE 

Upon  the  Subject  of  the  Mother's  Mental  Influence,  with  its  Effect  upon  the  Brain 

Structure  of  her  Offspring.     How  such  influences  produce  Children  who  are 

Blind,  Deaf,  Club-Footed,  and  otherwise  malformed;   Idiotic,  Epileptic, 

and  the  Criminal  born  with  criminal  tendencies.    Teaching  how  to 

overcome  a  shock  or  scare,  as  well  as  the  quiet,   persistent 

Mental  Influence  exerted  by  a  Mother;  also  showing  the 

good  or  bad  effect  on  the  future  of  her  offspring. 


By   C.  J.   BAYER. 
V 


A  book  that  will  pave  the  way  for  parents  to  discuss  the  subject  of  the 

reproduction  of  mankind.   It  will  enable  them  to  talk  intelligently 

with  their  children  upon  this  important  topic.     Couched  in 

simple  language  that  the  uncultured  can  comprehend. 

NOT  A   WORD  OR  LINE  TO  SHOCK  THE  MOST  SENSITIVE. 


WINONA,    MINN.: 

JONBS  &  KROEGER,  Publishers, 

1897. 


"I  am  not  a  cynic,  but  an  observer." 


COPYRIGHTED,  '".a7    BY  C.  J.  BAYER. 


DEDICATION. 

This  book  is  dedicated  to  prospective  mothers,  who,  by  the  study  of 
it,  and  by  adopting  the  suggestions  that  will  be  found  in  its  pages,  may 
be  relieved  from  many  a  heartache,  and  thus  not  only  benefit  themselves, 
but  the  unborn  millions  who  will  be  saved  from  what  in  many  cases  is 
worse  than  death — i.  e.,  deformed  brains  and  bodies. 


From  the  Iowa  Health  Bulletin,  published  by  the  State  Board  of  Health, 
Des  Moines,  November,  1896. 

INVESTIGATIONS  RESPECTING  CONGENITAL  DEFORMITIES,  AS  RECOMMENDED 
BY  MR.  C.  J.  BAYER,  OF  GRINNELL. 

The  study  of  physical  and  mental  deformities  is  a  far-reaching,  inter- 
esting, and  important  one.  The  suggestions  of  Mr.  BaA-er  commend 
themselves  to  all  students  of  heredity,  and  this  Board  would  be  glad  to 
aid  in  any  manner,  consistent  with  its  general  duties,  in  the  prosecution 

of  that  study. 

DR.  J.  F.  KENNEDY,  Secretary. 


"A  great  new  world  looms  into  sight,  like  some  splendid  ship,  long 
waited  for:  The  world  of  heredity,  of  pre-natal  influence,  the  greatest 
right  of  which  we  can  conceive— the  right  of  a  child  to  be  well  born — is 
being  slowly,  surely  recognized."  FRANCES  E.  WILLARD. 


INDEX  OF  SUBJECTS. 

PART  I. 

PAG» 

CHAPTER  I.— A  FEW  WORDS  TO  PROFESSIONALS       ...  23 

In  which  will  be  found  the  opinion  of  well  known  physicians 
upon  the  subject  of  Maternal  Impressions. 

CHAPTER  II.— WHAT  ARE  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS       -       -  29 

A  statement  of  the  theory,  and  an  argument  which  will  lead 
the  reader  to  a  logical  examination  of  the  subject. 

CHAPTER  III.— VARIOUS  SCIENTIFIC  THEORIES  47 

A  superficial  examination  of  the  claims  made  for  and  against 
them. 

CHAPTER  IV.— HEREDITY      - 53 

In  which  are  many  quotations  from  acknowledged  scientists. 

CHAPTER  V.— REVERSION  TO  TYPE 65 

With  natural  selection  and  evolution. 

CHAPTER  VI.— TRUTH,  LOOKING  FOR  IT 76 

CHAPTER  VII.— THE  STUDY  OF  MAN  81 

CHAPTER  VIII.— THE  ELEVATION  OF  MANKIND      -  89 

How  it  can  be  done. 

CHAPTER  IX.— THE  OUTCOME  96 

What  will  be  the  result  of  our  present  S3^stem  of  non-edu- 
cation of  the  coming  mothers. 

CHAPTER  X.— EDUCATION  DOES  NOT  MAKE  THE  MAN  106 

Showing  that  a  man  born  with  a  brain  soil  of  one  kind, 
cannot  be  taught  upon  other  lines. 

CHAPTER  XL— FAITH  IN  HUMAN  PROGRESS  113 

An  attempt  to  show  that  faith  in  some  unseen  force,  •will  not 
do  any  good  if  man  acts  contrary  to  divine  will. 

CHAPTER  X II.— RESPONSIBILITY  118 

CHAPTER  XIIL— MORAL  ETHICS  126 

A  continuation  of  the  argument  in  Chapter  XI. 

PART  II. 

Part  II.  is  the  important  part  to  the  coming  parents. 
CHAPTER  XIV.— THE  PROCESS  OF  BRAIN  FORMATION  135 

A  theory  as  to  how  a  mother,  through  her  mentality,  changes 
the  brain  formation  of  her  child  from  a  normal  to  an  ab- 
normal structure. 


CHAPTER  XV.— CONGENITAL  BLINDNESS 142 

Showing  how  such  malformations  are  caused,  cases  which 
illustrate  it.  also  the  skeleton  of  a  law  which  would  in  time 
elucidate  what  seems  now  so  mysterious. 

CHAPTER  XVI.— THE  CONGENITAL  DEAF  AND  DUMB        -       -         149 

An  interesting  subject  in  which  well  known  writers  are 
introduced. 

CHAPTER  XVII.— THE  TRAMP  PROBLEM          ....  153 

This  subject  treated  in  such  a  manner  as  to  convince  the 
reader,  that  no  other  up  to  date  plan  will  cure  the  evil. 

CHAPTER  XVIII.— MONEY  MAKING  MANIA  160 

Contains  some  startling  statistics. 

CHAPTER  XIX.— FAULT  FINDING  AND  FRETTING  165 

Showing  the  cause  of  much  of  the  ill  temper  in  humanity. 

CHAPTER  XX.— A  STUDY  OF  VARIETIES  IN  TWINS     -       -       -         168 

A  difficult  problem,  and  is  like  much  of  the  so-called  science, 
pure  guess  work. 

CHAPTER  XXL— INFANTILE  TRAITS  172 

In  which  the  peculiar  traits  of  children  in  a  family  are  noted. 

CHAPTER  XXII.— CHRISTIAN  CHARACTER  ....         177 

An   argument   that   will   set   sincere   Christian    workers   to 
thinking  on  a  line  of  which  they  have  never  dreamed. 

CHAPTER  XXIII.— LICENTIOUSNESS  188 

Why  it  is  growing,  how  moral  parents  produce  immoral 
children,  and  a  remedy  pointed  out. 

CHAPTER  XXIV.— MOTHER'S  LONGINGS 194 

Most  valuable  to  all  prospective  parents. 

CHAPTER  XXV.— ADVICE  TO  PROSPECTIVE  MOTHERS  202 

All  such  are  advised  to  read  this  at  once,  it  will  be  a  blessing 
to  them. 

CHAPTER  XXVI.— CHILD  RECORD 213 

Which  explains  itself. 

PART  III. 
CHAPTER  XXVIL— EPILEPSY 217 

A  plausible  theory  as  to  the  cause  of  congenital  epilepsy,  in- 
troducing anatomical  data,  interesting  to  doctors  as  well 
as  all  parents. 

CHAPTER  XXVIII.— THE  CONTROL  OF  SEX  230 

Which  introduces  a  theory  as  to  the  cause  of  dual  characters, 
or  what  are  known  as  Hermaphrodites. 

CHAPTER  XXIX.— A  STUDY  OF  CRIMINALS      -       ---  234 

Interesting  data  upon  the  criminal. 

CHAPTER  XXX.— CONCLUSION  -       -       -       250 

A  short  review  of  the  entire  subject.  Three  animal  cases 
which  prove  that  they  are  subject  to  the  same  influences. 


PREFACE. 


Last  -words  of  Lucy  E.  Stone: 

"Abby!    Live  to  make  the  world  better." 

The  publication  of  this  volume  was  not  undertaken  in  the  expecta- 
tion that  it  would  fill  any  special  nook  in  the  realm  of  science,  nor  that 
it  would  deeply  interest  scientific  students,  but  it  will  throw  a  few  side 
lights  upon  the  cause  of  physical  variations  in  man,  which  may  assist  in 
developing  a  clearer  conception  of  an  interesting  subject,  i.  e.  the  cause 
of  variation  in  general. 

It  is  issued  in  compliance  with  a  desire  to  assist  the  humanitarian 
in  his  endeavors  to  elevate  man  to  a  higher  standard,  mentally  and 
physical!}'.  My  purpose  in  taking  up  the  study  of  causation  was,  to 
ascertain,  through  personal  observation  and  experience,  where  the  cause 
of  variation  lies,  and  I  began  its  study,  unhampered  by  youthful  ideas 
which  the  average  student  has  impressed  upon  him  in  school  or  college. 
In  the  firm  belief  that  if  maternal  impression  was  ever  so  slight  a  factor 
in  mental  or  physical  changes,  it  should  become  an  essential  part  of  the 
education  of  the  coming  mothers.  I  have,  therefore,  given  the  cases,  and 
the  position  I  hold,  as  clearly  as  possible,  stating  the  propositions 
plainly  in  the  introduction. 

The  student  of  general  literature  will  pardon  the  prolixity;  its  object 
is  to  thus  more  clearly,  as  it  were,  fix  the  prominent  ideas  in  the  minds 
of  the  younger  portion  of  society,  for  whom  it  is  intended. 

In  the  study  of  maternal  impression  and  its  influence  upon  man- 
kind, so  far  as  governing  man's  mental  and  physical  natureis  concerned, 
there  were  no  speculative  theories  advanced,  but  each  phenomena  was 
looked  upon  as  the  result  of  some  fundamental  law  of  nature,  and  in 
reflecting  upon  the  facts  which  had  a  bearing  upon  it,  there  was  never 
any  haste  in  arriving  at  a  conclusion.  Every  intelligent  person  believes 
that  there  is  some  truth  in  prenatal  influence,  and  they  will  only  need 
to  investigate  to  become  fully  convinced  of  it. 


8  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

The  cases  which  are  reported  in  this  work,  and  produced  in  evidence, 
were  in  nearly  every  instance  personally  investigated.  Those  which 
were  not  personally  examined,  were  given  to  the  writer  by  some  close 
friend  or  near  relative,  and  are  not  by  any  means,  "Old  women's 
stories."  The  reader  may  rely  upon  each  and  all  of  them,  so  far  as  the 
essential  facts  are  concerned. 

There  is  no  attempt  at  systematic  arrangement;  the  illustrative 
cases  have  been  distributed  through  these  pages,  as  it  seemed  best  to 
convey  the  ideas  as  they  are  brought  to  the  reader's  notice,  and  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  fully  impress  the  fundamental  principles  which  are 
involved,  upon  the  mind  of  the  reader. 

It  might  have  been  more  ponderous  and  polished  in  its  tone,  but 
that  was  just  what  the  author  aimed  to  avoid,  when  it  is  considered 
that  it  is  intended  for  the  elevation  of  the  masses,  and  for  the  younger 
portion  of  society  who  are  not,  as  a  rule,  cultured  and  are  usually  una- 
ble to  solve  abstract  propositions  which  are  not  perfectly  clear  and  easy 
to  comprehend. 

The  general  reader  shrinks  from  an  attempt  to  study  a  work  that 
would  weary  him  with  its  classical  diction  and  great  bulk.  It  would 
thus  defeat  the  very  object  for  which  it  was  undertaken,  i.  e.,  the  en- 
lightenment of  that  portion  of  the  public  who  are  not  close  reasoners 
and  logical  thinkers. 

It  is  placed  before  the  intelligent  public  in  the  expectation  that  it 
will  be  the  means  of  creating  a  demand  for  a  thorough  comprehension 
of  the  great  truths  of  nature  on  the  line  of  the  reproduction  of  the 
human  race,  and  it  is  submitted  with  the  positive  conviction  that  it  will 
bring  good  cheer  to  many  a  home  and  a  blessing  to  future  generations. 

I  have  been  gratified  by  the  expressions  of  a  desire,  on  the  part  of 
many  who  have  had  an  inkling  of  its  contents,  to  become  the  owner  of 
a  copy  as  soon  as  issued.  Doubly  gratified  by  the  earnest  request  of  a 
number  who  are  heads  of  families,  to  be  sure  and  publish  it,  as  it  would 
be  a  benefit  to  humanity,  and  who  wish  their  children  to  study  it  and 
thus  avoid  the  danger  they  have  been  through. 

It  is  worded  in  simple  English;  chaste  in  its  language,  and  written 
by  a  practical  man — not  by  a  theorist  or  dreamer,  who  took  what  he 
knows  out  of  a  library. 

A  thoughtful  study  of  this  work  is  commended  to  each  and  every  one. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


INTRODUCTION. 


INTRODUCTION  TO  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 


"In  ages  gone,  'tis  said,  heaven  sent  forth  the  fiat  to  man: 

Know  thyself. — But  the  command  has  not  yet  reached  the  earth." 

The  subject  of  maternal  impression,  which  is  the  reproduction  of  the 
mother's  mental  condition  while  she  is  forming  the  brain  and  body  of 
her  offspring,  with  its  effect  upon  the  mental  and  physical  character  of 
her  child,  is  a  topic  which  should  engage  the  attention  of  all  those  who 
have  the  well-being  of  mankind  at  heart. 

It  is  a  composite  question,  and  includes  not  only  a  study  of  the  cause 
of  varieties,  by  which  is  meant  the  various  peculiar  phases  of  character 
found  among  the  children  in  every  family,  but  it  also  embraces  the 
dependent  and  the  defective  classes.  The  latter  includes  the  imbecile,  the 
idiotic,  the  epileptic,  and  the  criminal  who  is  born  with  criminal  ten- 
dencies. The  congenital  blind,  the  deaf,  and  the  malformed,  sometimes 
miscalled  "Freaks  of  Nature,"  belong  to  the  defective  class,  but  in  the 
classification  of  the  scientist,  they  are  dependent. 

The  entire  subject  of  maternal  impression,  or  what  is  generally 
known  as  pre-natal  influence,  involves  elements  which  transcends  the 
whole  range  of  social  economics,  in  its  most  liberal  definition,  and  de- 
pends upon,  or  is  governed  by  laws  of  which  the  public  have  very  little 
knowledge. 

Many  persons  know  the  effect  of  some  mysterious  process,  through 
which  a  mother  produces  a  genius  or  a  fool,  and  which  no  theory  of 
heredity,  atavism,  reversion  to  type,  or  evolution  can  explain.  None  of 
these  theories  are  able  to  clear  up  the  mystery,  and  no  other  up  to  date 
idea,  except  that  of  maternal  impression,  can  account  for  or  solve  the 
problem. 

How  is  a  prodigy  or  a  monstrosity,  as  it  happens  to  be,  created  ? 
By  what  combination  of  natural  law  is  a  new  nature  produced?  It  is 
that  process  which  generates  "Sports"  in  plants,  and  "Cranks"  in 
humanitjr.  Its  process  is  a  mystery.  A  mystery  is  only  a  lack  of  knowl- 
edge of  natural  phenomena,  and  the  conditions  which  surround  man- 


10  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

kind.  Botanists  have  studied  the  production  of  sports  with  great  care, 
but  in  vain.  So  far  as  the  law  of  their  origin  is  concerned,  it  remains  as 
obscure  as  ever.  Nature's  works  are  simple  when  known,  but  to  one 
who  does  not  understand  them,  they  are  wonderful ;  and  wonder  is  the 
result  of  ignorance.  The  child  wonders  at  a  ghost  story,  the  savage  at 
a  trinket,  the  scientist  at  unexplained  phenomena. 

The  laws  which  govern  reproduction  are  looked  upon  by  the  average 
man  to  be  as  nn'sterious  as  those  which  govern  the  movements  of  the 
planets  through  space,  and  in  addition,  are  considered  a  subject  which 
pure  minds  should  not  think  of  or  discuss,  forgetting  that  it  is  nature's 
fundamental  process  of  self-preservation,  and  when  studied  as  it  should 
be,  that  is,  freed  from  the  quasi-mystery  by  which  it  is  enshrouded, 
through  ignorance  and  false  modesty,  it  is  as  chaste  as  the  study  of 
zoology,  biolog3r,  or  any  kindred  subject.  Whenever  the  reproduction  of 
the  human  race  is  discussed  by  the  medical  profession,  or  the  scientist, 
it  is  couched  in  high-sounding  terms  and  technical  phrases,  accompanied 
by  a  mass  of  verbiage  which  is  unintelligible  to  the  geneial  reader,  thus 
making  it  tedious  and  difficult  to  understand.  In  this  work  the  subject 
is  simplified,  so  that  the  uneducated  mind  will  be  able  to  comprehend  it; 
and  worded  so  that  young,  as  well  as  old,  will  know  what  it  means, 
without  the  use  of  terms  which  would  jar  or  shock  the  most  sensitive 
minds.  Very  great  care  has  been  taken  in  that  respect. 

It  has  been  the  experience  of  past  ages,  that  any  idea  which  was  cal- 
culated to  overcome  long-existing  errors,  is  not  well  received,  and  as 
this  subject  is  presumed  to  enter  the  domain  of  the  medical  profession, it 
is  more  difficult  than  an}'  other  which  embraces  the  welfare  of  mankind, 
because  the  medical  practitioner  is  inclined  to  den\- withoutexplanation. 
The  masses  endorse  the  opinion  of  the  doctors,  as  they  are  supposed  to 
be  competent,  not  only  to  judge  of  its  merits;  but  they  are  considered 
unbiased.  Many  men  in  that  profession  become  biased,  full  of  precon- 
ceived ideas,  and  prejudices,  from  the  fact  that  they  have  investigated 
man  from  one  stand  point  only — the  physical,  through  anatomical  op- 
tics. If  called  to  prove  that  the  medical  profcssionisbiased.it  will  only 
be  necessary  to  cite  for  illustration,  Harvey  and  his  theory  of  the  circu- 
lation of  the  blood.  He  was  roundly  abused,  and  it  is  historical  that 
not  a  prominent  physician  in  the  whole  of  Europe  believed  in  his  theorv. 
Even  now  any  new  idea  must  be  endorsed  by  some  well  known  name 
beiore  the  average  medical  man  will  even  deign  to  consider  it. 

In  Harvey's  day  the  profession  held  that  the  arteries  were  occupied 
by  a  vital  spirit,  and  most  of  the  physicians  believed  it.  That  it  was 
generated  out  of  the  left  side  of  the  heart,  from  the  air  and  blood  of  the 
lungs,  and  they  said  that  Harvey's  theory  of  the  circulation  of  the  blood 
through  the  system  was  false.  Why?  Mark  the  reason:  "Because  it 


IXTRODUCTION.  11 


was  not  true."  Not  a  single  argument  was  brought  to  prove  that  it 
was  false.  But  Harvey's  theory  followed  the  course  of  all  advanced 
thought — first  it  was  sneered  at  as  nonsense;  then  it  was  said  to  be  dan- 
gerous; and  lastly  accepted.  Whereupon  the  cry  arose,  "Why,  it  is  not 
new  at  all,  and  was  very  plain  to  all  men  before  Harvey  was  born." 

The  medical  profession  is  not  alone  in  its  tenaciousness  in  regard  to 
old  theories.  When  the  idea  of  the  earth  being  a  globe,  instead  of  a  flat 
surface,  was  first  promulgated,  it  encountered  the  opposition  of  the  wise 
men  of  the  age.  The  most  enlightened  thinkers  in  those  days  were 
frightened,  and  the  church  fought  it  bitterly  as  being  a  dajigerous  doc- 
trine, and  condemned  all  who  assented  to  the  theory  as  unbelievers. 

The  cry  was,  "Your  science  is  opposed  to  our  religion!"  Those  who 
did  not  believe  that  the  earth  was  flat  like  a  table,  were  afraid  to  express 
themselves.  But  one  of  them  who  bad  more  courage  than  discretion, 
Peter  of  Albano,  was  burned  at  the  stake  for  the  heresy.  That  was  less 
than  six  hundred  years  ago.  Even  after  Magellan,  in  1521,  had  sailed 
around  the  earth,  the  fact  that  the  world  was  round  was  not  accepted, 
and  it  was  two  hundred  years  after,  when  the  astronomers  added  incon- 
trovertible proof,  before  it  was  acknowledged.  Now  there  is  not  an 
intelligent  school  boy  but  knows,  or  is  taught  how  to  prove  that  the 
earth  is  a  globe  by  the  sailing  of  a  ship.  There  is  perhaps  one  exception, 
which  is  in  the  case  of  the  Reverend  Jasper,  who  preaches  that  "De  sun 
do  move."  But  whether  that  colored  Virginia  preacher  teaches  the  old 
doctrine,  i.  e.  that  the  earth  is  flat,  we  do  not  know,  nor  care. 

In  many  very  important  matters  which  are  vital  to  their  best  inter- 
ests, some  men  and  women  abandon  reason,  ignore  the  evidence  of  the 
senses,  and  do  not  heed  the  manifestations  which  a  kind  providence  has 
placed  around  them,  and  which  are  so  plain  to  those  who  seek  the  light. 
There  are  others  mentally  too  lazy  to  be  skeptical  on  any  subject,  or 
they  are  irrational  and  incompetent  to  reason,  or  unable  to  comprehend 
the  force  of  others'  reasoning.  Some  are  looking  for  the  impossible  to 
happen,  somewhere  or  somehow.  They  argue,  "That  a  man  who  sees 
snakes  in  the  air  is  sick,  but  he  who  sees  angels  is  supremely  blessed." 
The  human  race  has  been  progressing  and  acquiring  much  ;  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  it  will  ultimately  become  rational,  draw  proper  conclusions 
from  the  true  premise,  and  refuse  to  accept  conjecture  for  reality. 

It  would  be  advisable  at  all  times  to  remember  Prof.  Huxley's  guid- 
ing rule,  "There  is  a  path  which  leads  to  truth  so  surely,  that  any  one 
who  will  follow  it  must  needs  reach  the  goal,  whether  his  capacity  be 
great  or  small, and  there  is  one  guiding  rule  by  which  a  man  can  always 
find  this  path,  and  keep  himself  from  straying  when  he  has  found  it. 
This  rule  is:  'Give  assentto  no  propositions  but  those,  the  truth  of  which 
is  so  clear,  that  they  cannot  be  doubted.'  " 


12  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

Many  persons  evince  a  pride  in  what  they  are  pleased  to  term  their 
"common  sense,"  who  believe  that  they  are  endowed  with  an  extra 
share  of  that  intangible  article.  They  will  dismiss  the  subject  under 
consideration  by  the  statement,  "It  is  arrant  nonsense;  I  do  not  believe 
a  word  of  it,"  and  the  next  moment  proceed  to  relate  some  case  of  birth 
mark  of  which  they  are  cognizant.  It  seems  beyond  the  power  of  such 
persons  to  grasp  the  possibilities  of  the  idea,  that  mind  controls  matter, 
which  in  its  simplest  form  is  displayed  in  every  conscious  act  of  their 
lives,  from  rising  in  the  morning  to  their  lying  down  in  the  evening. 

Some  understand  that  mental  action  will  produce  disorder  of  bodily 
functions,  and  then  refuse  to  believe,  that  a  mother  who  is  in  a  condition 
of  great  susceptibility,  exerts  a  powerful  influence  upon  the  being  whose 
form  she  is  preparing  for  its  advent  into  the  sphere  of  action  upon  this 
earthhr  plane,  or  that  she  can  increase  or  retard  its  growth  within 
natural  limitations.  This  class  of  parrot  philosophers  utter  cries  which 
they  never  analyze;  one  theory  is  as  good  as  another  to  them,  if  it  is 
only  based  upon  the  dogmatic  assertion  of  some  wise-man.  Mankind 
has  ever  failed  to  obey  the  call  of  reason,  but  has  been  prone  to  accept  the 
dictum  of  philosophers,  without  examining  into  the  truth  of  an  asser- 
tion. It  will  no  doubt  always  be  so  with  illogical  thinkers,  and  the  ad- 
vocate? of  the  theory  of  maternal  impression,  who  contend  that  it  is  the 
unknown  factor,  which  all  writers  upon  heredit\r,  evolution,  or  similar 
questions,  say  is  necessary  to  complete  the  various  theories,  will  be  met 
by  the  old  cry  of  nonsense.  And  when  overwhelming  evidence  is  pre- 
sented, and  the  theor\r  of  maternal  impression  as  the  factor  in  the  cause 
of  varieties  is  proven  to  be  correct,  then  will  come  the  second  stage,  by 
the  cry  pf — as  yet  we  know  not  what — alter  which  the  third  stage  will 
be  in  order,  as  it  was  in  Harve3-'s  case,  "Why  that  is  not  new  at  all;  it 
was  known  many  years  ago,  before  Harvey  was  born."  And  we 
answer:  That  it  has  never  been  advanced  or  accepted  by  any  acknowl- 
edged scientist  of  any  age. 

"If  ever  the  reformation  of  the  world  is  to  be  accomplinhed,  if  ever  a  millen- 
ium  is  to  appear,  it  can  only  become  so  by  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  laws 
which  govern  reproduction." 

WHAT  IS  MATERNAL  IMPRESSION? 

The  fundamental  idea  of  maternal  impression  is,  that  the  mother's 
idiosj'ncrasies,  her  likes  and  dislikes,  good  or  bad  humor,  gentle  or  ugly 
and  mean  spirit,  affect  the  forming  brain  and  body  of  her  offspring,  thus 
shaping  its  physical  structure  and  endowing  it  with  characteristics 
which  differ  from  its  parent  in  accordance  with  the  mother's  mood,  as 
differing  as  she  is  different  from  her  normal  condition. 

It  is  such  changes  or  differentiation  in  the  variation  of  humanity 
that  is  such  a  mystery.  It  produces  the  many  characters,  mental  and 


INTRODUCTION.  13 


physical,  which  cannot  be  accounted  for  by  the  scientist,  and  because  no 
other  reason  could  be  given,  the  name  "Atavism"  was  invented,  behind 
which  lurks  ignorance  of  previous  conditions.  The  subject  of  maternal 
impression  is  immensely  complex,  and  to  a  student  of  the  question,  it 
will  be  a  wonderful  revelation  when  investigated  through  or  in  its 
various  ramifications. 

In  this  work  we  have  but  penetrated  the  outer  circle  of  the  subject, 
and,  therefore,  sweeping  generalities  would  be  premature.  But  we  yen- 
ture  the  assertion  that  every  mental  improvement  or  retrogression  in  a 
human  being,  which  cannot  be  directly  traced  to  a  progenitor  (the  last 
clause  is  inserted  in  deference  to  those  who  believe  in  heredity),  its  cause 
will  be  found  in  the  mother's  impressions — that  is,  the  state  of  her  mind 
before  the  birth  of  her  child.  This,  if  proven,  and  we  hope  to  make  it 
clear  even  to  one  of  dull  intellect,  will  explain  the  cause  of  varieties, 
the  differentiation,  or  the  differences  which  are  noticeable  in  members  of 
the  same  family. 

We  do  not  claim  to  be  able  to  explain  the  process,  but  to  explain  the 
factor  which  governs  the  process  through  which  varieties  are  produced, 
and  the  ultimate  aim  of  this  work  is  to  teach  the  masses  how  to  pro- 
duce a  more  uniform  class  of  human  beings — that  is,  to  retard  the  birth 
of  physical  and  mental  abnormities.  We  hope  to  shed  a  ray  of  light 
that  will  enable  those  -who  heed  the  lessons  taught,  to  bring  forth  chil- 
dren who  will  be  well  born,  and  thus  save  a  few  from  misery  in  the 
future,  who  would  otherwise  suffer  through  the  ignoronce  of  their 

parents. 

"Ignorance  is  the  parent  of  much  error." 

The  basic  principle  which  we  wish  to  impress  upon  the  reader  is: 
That  a  mother  who  is  in  the  condition  to  which  attention  is  called,  who 
has  an  imperfectly  formed  object,  such  as  a  monstrosity  of  any  kind  in 
her  mind,  and  dwells  upon  it,  or  has  impure  or  vulgar  thoughts,  and 
mean  or  unholy  ideas,  or  who  has  murder  in  mind— that  is,  would  like 
to  kill  her  unborn  babe,— will  impress  such  a  formation  of  the  brain 
structure  of  her  offspring,  as  will  form  its  desires  in  the  direction  which 
her  thoughts  have  taken.  Like  must  produce  like;  like  she  is  at  that 
time,  not  as  she  was  or  will  be  at  some  other  time.  "A  corrupt  tree 
cannot  bring  forth  good  fruit."  Make  the  tree  good,  and  the  fruit  will 
be,  must  be,  good. 

IT  SHOULD   BE  TAUGHT  IN  THE   SCHOOLS. 

We  contend  that  the  subject  of  maternal  impression  should  be 
taught  in  the  higher  grade  of  schools  and  colleges,  and  primarily  by  the 
parents  in  the  homes.  It  can  be  done,  and  so  worded  that  it  would 
not  seem  a  hardship  for  the  parent  to  teach,  or  the  child  to  understand; 
and  no  offense  could  be  taken  bv  the  most  sensitive  and  refined  minds. 


14  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

The  daughters  should  be  taught  that  when  they  become  mothers,  as 
each  one  expects  to  be  in  the  course  of  time  a  wife  and  mother,  when 
that  time  arrives,  i.  e.,  expectant  motherhood,  their  thoughts  must  be 
pure  and  their  minds  free  from  any  unholy  or  abnormal  desires;  it  not, 
the  offspring  will  partake  of  the  disposition  and  nature  which  she  dis- 
plays at  that  time. 

It  is  inevitable,  as  will  be  shown  in  this  work,  and  the  sons  should 
be  instructed  upon  the  same  subject,  although  it  is  not  so  essential;  but 
it  would  assist  them  in  their  endeavors  to  become  the  fathers  of  \vclt 
born  children — teach  them  to  be  considerate,  and  properly  environ  their 
wives,  thus  assisting  them  to  overcome  any  abnormal  ideas. 

This  subject,  if  thoroughly  comprehended  b\-  the  youth  of  the  land, 
would  relieve  the  coming  generations  from  the  taint  of  criminality, 
which  seemingly  is  overshadowing  us.  Young  men  and  women,  fathers 
and  mothers,  must  be  taught  the  criminality  of  sex  relation,  which 
would  be  likely  to  produce  abnormal  physical  or  mental  characters  in 
their  posterity. 

The  subject  is  taken  up  with  unfeigned  humility,  but  at  the  same 
time,  with  the  hope  of  making  it  so  readable,  not  alone  for  those  whom 
it  is  intended  to  assist  in  their  capacity  as  parents,  but  also  to  help  such 
as  have  passed  that  period,  and  who  are  living  their  youthful  days  over 
again,  when  contemplating  and  teaching  their  grand  children  in  whom 
they  are  presumed  to  take  an  interest. 

To  those  who  are  looking  for  light  upon  the  family  relation,  it  will 
be  a  blessing  and  not  a  curse,  as  is  often  found  in  works  whose  under- 
lying idea  is  to  prevent  the  multiplication  of  children.  Not  a  line  will  be 
found  in  that  direction,  but  the  teaching  is  wholly  to  avoid  the  danger 
of  producing  ill-born  children;  ill-born,  in  the  sense  of  crooked  and 
dwarfed  brains  and  deformed  bodies.  To  show  that  none  are  free  from 
such  danger,  we  quote  from  Prof.  Henderson,  of  the  University  of  Chi- 
cago, who  estimates:  "That  of  the  feeble-minded,  one-fifth  are  from  the 
rich  or  well  to  do  classes,  another  fifth  from  the  pauper  element,  and 
three-fifths  are  the  product  of  the  middle  or  working  classes."  This 
refers  only  to  mental  deformities;  the  blind,  the  deaf,  and  the  malformed 
make  another  large  class. 

The  suggestions  found  in  this  work  are  for  those  who  see  the  need  of 
their  application  to  the  existing  affairs  of  every  day  life,  and  the  need  of 
an  education  uponthisline.  They  will  become  convinced  that  something 
more  potent  than  mere  intellectual  culture  is  required,  to  overcome  the 
evil  tendencies  of  the  age. 

The  subject  is  made  very  plain,  yet  pure  in  tone.  It  was  compulsory 
to  reiterate  some  of  the  ideas  to  arrive  at  the  conclusions,  which  always 
point  in  the  same  direction,  and  it  was  necessary,  to  avoid  mystifying 


IXTRODUCTION.  15 


the  average  reader  by  the  use  of  what  might  be  called  unintelligible 
terms.  A  weightier  reason  for  repetitions  was  to  more  thoroughly  im- 
press upon  the  reader's  mentality  these  truths,  if  they  be  truths. 

I  hope  to  invest  the  entire  subject  of  maternal  impression  with  an 
interest  which  will  bring  it  near  to  the  heart  and  conscience  of  every 
lover  of  humanity,  as  well  as  conviction  to  the  mind  of  ever}'  mother, 
who  is  in  its  fullest  and  holiest  sense,  a  true  mother. 

The  reader  will  be  invited  to  a  superficial  examination  of  biology, 
evolution,  heredity,  and  atavism,  as  well  as  natural  selection  and  rever- 
sion to  type,  up  to  the  varied  dispositions  that  are  found  in  mankind, 
and  which  are  traceable  through  a  course  of  logical  interpretation  to 
the  theory  of  maternal  impression.  After  which  students  will  be  able 
to  clearly  understand  many  of  the  phenomena  that  will  come  under  their 
own  observation;  this  will  enable  them  to  avoid  the  dangers  which  be- 
set the  average  parent. 

In  the  closing  chapters  there  is  one,  entitled,  "Mother's  Longings," 
and  another,  "Advice  to  Prospective  Mothers,"  in  which  the  danger  to 
their  offspring  is  pointed  out  so  clearly,  that  none  can  err.  Young 
wives,  and  especially  prospective  mothers,  are  advised  to  read  those  two 
chapters  at  once,  leaving  the  other  portions  of  the  book  for  leisure 
hours.  This  advice  is  given  because  those  chapters  contain  a  digest,  as 
it  were,  of  the  entire  subject,  and  are  important  to  any  woman  in  such 
a  condition. 

Also  a  chapter  on  Epilepsy,  in  which  the  writer  has  formulated  a 
premise  which  has,  at  least,  the  merit  of  being  logical,  and  if  mothers 
will  heed  the  lessons  that  may  be  drawn  from  it,  will  save  many  human 
beings  in  the  future  from  mental  and  physical  degeneracy.  No  possible 
harm  can  arise  from  its  study. 

There  is  a  chapter  upon  the  control  of  sex;  that  is  to  say,  it  teaches 
or  points  out  a  danger  that  may  result  in  a  mental  interference  with 
nature,  by  a  mother's  longings  for  a  daughter,  when  God  intends  that 
the  product  shall  be  a  son,  and  vice  versa. 

"If  human  precedents  fail  thee,  go  back  to  nature  and  think; 
As  if  thou  \vas't  the  first  man  that  ever  thought." 

This  work  will  not  commend  itself  to  technical  students,  only  so  far 
as  it  paves  the  way,  and  teaches  how  to  proceed  in  the  investigation  of 
phenomena  along  the  line  of  the  mental  and  physical  variation  in  the 
human  race. 

It  will  be  of  assistance  to  the  biological  student  in  his  search  for  the 
cause  of  varieties  in  general,  and  blazes  a  path,  as  it  were,  by  which  one 
can  arrive  at  a  given  point  much  quicker  and  easier  than  by  going  over 
the  regular  route  which  the  student  is  usually  compelled  to  travel,  after 


16  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

which  it  will  be  in  order  for  those  who  wish  to  become  expert  biologists 
to  retrace  their  steps  and  take  a  systematic  course,  which  will  then  be 
more  easily  comprehended. 

It  is  largely  an  appeal  to  the  wider,  more  expanded  scope  of  intelli- 
gence, the  common  sense  and  sound  judgment  of  the  general  public,  and 
it  is  for  their  instruction.  It  is  not  in  any  sense  profound,  but  it  deals 
with  the  every  day  problems  of  life,  which  are  of  grave  and  abiding  im- 
portance to  each  and  all.  Nor  does  it  presume  to  stand  upon  its  literary 
merits  or  originality,  for  it  has  none,  and  the  author  feels  that  the 
remark  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Spurgeon  is  applicable:  "I  lay  no  claim  to  orig- 
inality, but  confess  myself  a  gatherer  of  other  men's  goods;"  and  the 
Rev.  Henry  Ward  Beecher's  homlier  but  more  significant  phrase;  "I 
browse  in  all  pastures,  but  the  cud  I  chew  is  my  own."  It  is  a  reitera- 
tion of  truths,  which  are  only  partially  known,  but  the  facts  are  patent 
as  soon  as  attention  is  called  to  them. 

If  this  work  is  unsound  in  principle  and  faulty  in  logic,  neatly 
rounded  sentences  and  well  worded  phrases  will  not  save  it  from  obliv- 
ion. If  worthy  of  attention,  ungrammatical  expression  and  simple  dic- 
tion will  not  condemn  it  among  those  to  whom  it  is  commended. 

It  is  inspired  not  alone  by  a  firm  conviction  that  education  is  neces- 
sary to  overcome  the  evil  tendencies  of  the  age,  which  are  increasing,  as 
is  shown  by  the  overcrowded  condition  of  prisons,  reformatories,  and 
lunatic  asylums,  but  that  the  time  is  ripe  for  a  departure  from,  or  an 
addition  to,  the  present  system  of  education  of  the  masses  upon  the  sub- 
ject of  reproduction,  and  through  such  instruction  arrive  at  a  partial 
solution  of  the  crime  and  misery  which  is  so  prevalent. 

Intelligent  business  men  feel  the  need  of  such  an  education  for  their 
children,  and  are  asking,  Why  are  educators  so  backward?  The  answer 
to  which  is.  They  do  not  understand  it.  They  have  spent  a  great  deal 
of  time  studying  the  philosophy  of  heredity,  evolution  and  kindred  sub- 
jects, and  when  the  books  were  closed,  and  they  were  supposed  to  be 
through  with  them,  they  had  no  clear  conception  of  the  subjects  and 
were  unable  to  find  a  single  suggestion  in  any  philosophic  work  which 
they  had  studied  that  would  enable  one  to  begin  the  investigation  of  any 
problem,  upon  the  line  of  the  mental  or  physical  variation  in  man. 

There  has  been  but  little  written  upon  the  subject  of  maternal  im- 
pression by  scientists;  in  fact,  what  there  is,  is  usually  by  persons  who 
do  not  lay  any  claim  to  that  title,  and  it  is  so  hedged  about  by  mislead- 
ing terms  and  confusing  phraseology  that  only  mystifies  the  reader,  by 
its  professional  tone. 

What  is  meant  by  professional  tone  is  illustrated  by  the  word 
"Asthenontology."'  It  cannot  be  found  in  any  dictionary,  and  is  said  to 
mean  "The  science  of  caring  for  the  needy  and  unfortunate."  The  fre- 


INTRODUCTION.  17 


quent  use  of  such  unintelligible  terms,  which  are  often  found  in  scientific 
works,  is  apt  to  dampen  the  ardor  of  the  average  reader,  and  is  confus- 
ing. This  book  contains  not  a  line  but  that  is  couched  in  language 
easily  understood,  and  it  can  be  read  and  comprehended  in  the  family 
circle  and  in  the  school  room. 

Scientific  writers  usually  lay  great  stress  upon  and  describe  pro- 
cesses, investigate  the  relation  of  anatomical  parts,  emphasize  averages, 
and  describe  the  habitations  of  life,  from  the  smallest  unit  up  to  and  in- 
cluding the  human  body,  but  do  not  attempt  to  explain  the  cause  of 
mental  variations.  The  physical  facts  are  emphasized,  and  human  per- 
sonality, or  its  mental  nature,  is  a  mystery  to  all.  They  have  collated 
various  theories  without  arriving  at  any  definite  conclusions.  'Tis  true, 
many  of  them  affirm  that  evolution  is  an  indisputable  fact;  others  deny 
it,  as  for  instance  Jordan,  who  says,  "Evolution  is  a  term  belonging  to 
metaphysics."  The  process  of  evolution,  except  in  a  limited  sense,  has 
never  been  demonstrated.  By  limited  sense  is  meant,  that  the  progeny 
of  a  horse  will  never  be  a  cow,  the  spawn  of  a  frog  will  not  produce  a 
fish,  or  a  hen's  egg  an  ostrich. 

"The  carefully  nurtured  and  technically  balanced  brain  of  a  professor 
of  organic  evolution,  teaches  how  to  pulverize  into  atoms,  all  super- 
natural propositions,"  and  also  attempts  to  teach  the  origin  of  species, 
and  tries  to  harmonize  science,  philosophy,  and  religion,  instead  of  look- 
ing for  truths  which  will  assist  in  elevating  mankind  to  a  higher  stand- 
ard. Emerson  says,  "The  progress  of  the  intellect  consists  in  a  clearer 
vision  of  the  truth,  leaving  surface  differences  alone." 

It  is  apparent  to  every  thoughtful  mind,  that  the  age  is  permeated 
by  dense  ignorance  upon  the  very  important  question,  how  humanity 
gets  its  varied  peculiarities.  Some  charge  it  to  heredity,  or  to  atavism, 
and  call  it  acquired  character.  Call  it  by  any  name  you  please,  it  is  a 
subject  of  vital  importance,  and  is  of  greater  interest  to  the  welfare  of 
humanity  than  any  other  question  which  is  engrossing  the  mind  of  stu- 
dents ot  sociology. 

Whether  acquired  character  is  transmitted  or  not ;  whether  it  is 
acquired  by  education  or  the  environment  of  the  mother;  whether  an 
individual  obtains  the  character  which  it  possesses,  by  or  through  hered- 
ity; or  whether  it  is  formed  by  forces  over  which  no  human  being  has 
any  control,  i.  e.  evolution ;  or  whether  a  factor  exists  which  has  never 
been  taken  into  account  by  scientists,  i.  e.  maternal  impressions;  or 
whether  an  individual  can  by  education  overcome  the  innate  tendencies 
of  his  being,  alter,  as  it  were,  his  capacity,  or  enlarge  the  brain  structure 
so  as  to  be  able  to  comprehend  the  good  which  is  taught  him,  if  his  ten- 
dency is  to  evil,  is  a  subject  which  demands  the  attention  of  all  who  are 
interested  in  the  welfare  of  humanity  here  and  hereafter,  and  upon  its 


18  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

solution  depends  the  future  condition  of  the  human  race,  and  the  mear.s 
for  its  improvement  will  follow  close  upon  its  solution. 

Dr.  Forbes  Winslow  says,  "That  something  more  potent  than  mere 
intellectual  culture  is  required  to  be  put  in  force,  for  the  purpose  of  regu- 
lating the  conduct  of  respectable  beings,  with  a  free  will,  across  the 
stormy  sea  of  life,  from  birth  to  death." 

In  commenting  upon  the  statement  of  Ur.  Winslow,  the  editor  of  the 
"Arena"  says:  "This  great  truth  has  been  so  thoroughly  ignored  in 
educational  literature  and  home  training,  that  it  is,  more  than  anything 
else,  responsible  for  the  deplorable  condition  of  affairs  which  meets  the 
conscientious  student  of  human  life  on  every  side." 

The  question  to  which  the  reader's  attention  is  called  is,  what  is 
that  "Something  more  potent"  which  is  necessary;  and  the  careful 
reader,  before  this  book  is  read  through,  will  be  convinced  that  the  key 
to  its  solution  is  at  hand,  and  a  way  pointed  out  by  which  the  masses 
can  be  improved  and  the  human  race  lifted  out  of  the  mire  of  degrada- 
tion and  crime. 

The  danger  of  producing  abnormal  characters  can  be  reduced  to  a 
minimum  by  teaching  the  daughters  the  danger  of  ignorance  in  regard 
to  maternal  impressions;  also,  eliminate  what  is  still  more  dangerous, 
false  knowledge  which  they  are  liable  to  acquire  if  parents  and  the  state 
neglect  their  duty.  If  the  daughters  are  properly  instructed  they  will 
become  broad-minded,  sensible,  cultured,  womanly  women,  and  their 
children  well  born,  both  morally  and  physically. 

"It  is  easier  to  mould  moulten,  than  to  file  cold  cast  iron." 

Mankind  can  be  elevated  to  a  higher  plane  than  it  now  occupies,  but 
it  can  only  come  to  its  full  fruition  by  a  knowledge  of  the  laws  which 
govern  the  reproduction  of  the  race.  It  cannot  be  done  by  trying  to 
bend  or  twist  inborn  characteristics  to  suit  our  wishes. 

How  shall  the  masses  be  reached?  How  interest  the  coming  parents? 
It  must  be  done  by  public  educators,  teachers,  and  others  who  are 
in  educational  work,  and  their  efforts  supplemented  by  the  parents 
would  make  it  effective.  It  is,  to  say  the  least,  surprising  that  educators 
have  not  comprehended  the  fact  that  something  has  been  lacking  to 
make  their  work  more  effective,  and  in  its  comprehension  they  might 
have  discovered  the  cause. 

That  the  subject  of  maternal  impression  is  worthy  the  attention  of 
the  enlightened  minds  of  the  age,  there  can  be  no  doubt,  when  the 
increase  of  crime  and  imbecility  is  considered.  How  much  the  world  has 
suffered  through  a  neglect  to  educate  on  the  line  of  reproduction,  can 
never  be  told.  We  can  guess,  but  never  know,  how  many  are  suffering 
from-abnormal  brain  development,  and  the  cases  of  which  the  public  is 


INTRODUCTION.  19 


cognizant,  are  evidences  that  nature  has  been  obstructed,  her  laws  inter- 
fered with  somewhere,  somehow.  A  careful  study  in  any  class  of  society 
would  reveal  idiosyncrasies  without  number,  as  symmetrical  men  and 
women,  either  mental  or  physical,  are  scarce,  and  a  very  thin,  gauzy 
partition  divides  some  brains  from  idiocy. 

The  problem  for  the  educator  and  humanitarian  is,  to  build  the  best 
out  of  the  material  which  is  at  hand;  that  material  is  the  human  race 
as  it  exists  at  present,  and  it  must  be  educated  so  that  future  genera- 
tions will  be  benefited  by  such  education.  If  teachers  would  devote 
some  of  the  time,  now  expended  in  teaching  the  material  and  artistic 
part  of  modern  civilization,  to  other  phases  of  mental  culture,  i.  e.  to 
assist  parents  through  such  an  education  to  produce  more  perfect 
brains,  which  would  naturally  bring  with  it  physical  perfection,  many 
beauties  of  nature  and  its  possibilities,  would  be  revealed,  and  many  in 
the  future  would  be  free  from  a  tendency  to  commit  crime  and  conse- 
quent sin. 

The  reader  will  pardon  a  digression  at  this  point  and  allow  the 
author  to  indulge  in  a  little  moralizing.  The  motive  which  impels  one 
to  do  something  that  will  help  others  to  live  better,  nobler  lives,  has  as 
its  fundamental  principle  the  elevation  of  humanity,  and  is  animated  by 
a  religious  sentiment,  a  desire  to  do  good,  and  thus  assist  mankind; 
when  to  this  is  added  a  sympathetic  feeling  for  its  ills,  there  will  be  found 
the  foundation  of  all  soul  elevation,  and  back  of  it  justice.  Underneath  all 
moral  and  physical  degradation  there  is  somewhere  injustice,  as  it  is  not 
in  accordance  with  the  laws  of  God,  if  it  were,  there  could  be  no  wrong. 

In  the  birth  of  the  many  physically  and  mentally  deformed,  there 
has  been  injustice  done,  largehr  caused  by  ignorance  in  dealing  with  the 
subtle  forces  of  nature  which  governs  God's  noblest  handiwork,  man! 
And  the  fact  of  so  much  desire  to  do  good,  by  the  humanitarians  of  this 
age,  is  a  gleam  of  hope  that  a  brighter  day  is  dawning  for  the  race  of 
man.  Every  good  deed  has  as  its  main-spring  good  behind  it,  and  the 
very  act  of  doing  good,  lifts  the  doer  of  the  good  into  a  higher,  purer, 
moral  atmosphere,  because  it  ennobles  the  doer  and  makes  him  a 
grander  man.  No  act  is  ever  greater  than  the  motive  which  impels  it, 
and  there  is  a  greater  transforming  power  in  the  motive  of  an  act,  than 
in  the  act  itself. 

We  are  only  anxious  for  the  truth,  with  a  desire  to  promote  the 
truth,  and  that  only  so  far  as  it  will  elevate  mankind,  morally  and  phys- 
ically. We  should  know  the  truth;  the  truth  will  make  us  free.  This 
work  is  an  attempt  to  add  one  stone  to  the  arch  of  truth.  "Whenever 
you  learn  anything  that  will  benefit  another,  tell  it  in  the  best  way  you 
can,nnd  to  the  best  of  your  ability." 


20  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

A  careful  study  of  the  theory  of  Maternal  Impressions,  and  the 
many  facts  in  its  favor  which  are  presented  in  this  work,  will  convince 
the  reader  that  a  prospective  mother  has  the  power  to  produce  a  brain 
and  body  such  as  she  desires,  limited  only  by  her  mentality  and  the 
limitations  of  nature,  that  is  to  say,  a  human  mother  cannot  produce 
am-thing  but  a  human  being,  or  a  semblance  of  humanity. 

If  it  be  conceded,  and  it  must  be:  First — That  mothers  can,  and 
they  do,  produce  deformities.  Second — That  a  mother  can  influence  the 
desire  of  her  child,  for  or  against  certain  articles  of  food  or  dress. 
Third — That  she  can  affect  the  nervous  system  of  her  offspring  before  its 
birth.  Then  the  conclusions  must  be  that  she  forms  the  brain  structure 
of  her  offspring,  good  or  bad,  as  the  case  may  be,  and  does  it  consciously 
or  unconsciously,  and  in  this  book  there  is  an  attempt  to  teach  a  mother 
how  she  can  knowingly  produce  offspring  who  will  be  a  blessing  to 
themselves,  to  her,  and  to  the  world.  But  we  hear  a  protest:  You  are 
laying  a  terrible  responsibility  upon  the  mothers!  O,  no!  Nature  and 
nature's  God  places  that  responsibility  upon  them.  "It  is  the  law  of 
fact,  if  you  discover  not  that  fact,  you  will  know  it  by  and  by;  if  you 
regard  it  not,  it  will  answer  itself." 

See  to  it,  parents,  that  your  children  are  instructed  on  correct  lines; 
do  not  let  ideas  of  false  modesty  keep  you  from  teaching  nature's  truth ; 
nature's  right  truth  will  make  them  free. 


PART  1. 


"He  who  shall  explain  the  origin  of  varieties  \vill  have  made  another 
great  step  in  completing  the  theory  of  evolution." 

LE  CONTE. 


"Human  mentality  is  a  powerful  factor   in  the  cause  of  humaA 
varieties." 

PROF.  H.  W.  PARKER. 


"There  is  in  nature  some  hitherto  unknown  principle  of  adoptive 
modification,  which  is  at  present  almost  as  unsuspected   as  was  the 

principle  of  natural  selection  fifty  years  ago." 

ROMANES,  IN  1893. 


CHAPTER  L 

A   WORD   TO   PROFESSIONALS. 

The  general  reader  will  pardon  the  insertion  of  a  few 
lines,  which  are  intended  solely  for  the  benefit  of  some  who 
are  rooted  to  old  ideas  upon  the  subject  of  pre-natal  impress- 
ions, and  who  are  so  peculiarly  constituted  that  they  decline 
to  entertain  any  proposition  or  theory,  unless  it  emanates 
from  what  they  are  pleased  to  call  "recognized  authority." 

The  following  is  taken,  verbatim,  from  The  Annual  Ameri- 
can Year  Book  of  Medicine  and  Surgery  for  1896,  page  359, 
and  credited  to  The  Medical  News  of  Oct.  27,  1894.  We  say 
verbatim — it  is,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  technical  terms, 
which  have  been  put  into  other  words,  for  obvious  reasons. 
They  will  be  found  in  brackets.  It  says:  "With  the  object 
of  arriving  at  some  definite  conclusion,  as  to  whether  or  not 
maternal  impressions  may  deform  [the  unborn  child],  Dr. 
Work  sent  the  following  questions  to  physicians  whose  opin- 
ions on  any  subject  cannot  be  lightly  regarded:  First — Do 
pronounced  impressions,  made  upon  a  mind  of  a  [prospective 
mother],  predispose  to  bodily  defects,  or  birth-marks,  in  the 
child?  Second — Do  such  impressions  influence  the  mental 
development  of  the  child?  Third — If  defects  are  thus  pro- 
duced, which  of  the  emotions  most  frequently  cause  the  de- 
fects? The  first  two  questions  were  answered  in  the  affirm- 
ative by  Drs.  Penrose,  Goodell,  Starr,  Mann,  Hirst,  Thombs, 
King,  Edwards,  Norbury  and  Waxham ;  in  the  negative  by 
Drs.  Halfield,  Hawes  and  Ingalls." 


24  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

Dr.  Work  says,  further:  "From  a  study  of  the  scanty  re- 
liable literature  upon  the  subject,  the  following  conclusions 
are  drawn:  First — That  both  physical  and  mental  defects 
follow  maternal  mental  impressions  with  such  frequency  as  to 
establish  the  relationship  of  cause  and  effect.  Second — That 
these  conditions  are  the  result  of  changes  in  the  blood — 
chemic,  circulatory,  or  both,  seems  probable.  Third — That 
the  probability  of  defects  in  the  [unborn  child]  from  mental 
causes  is  dependent  upon— mark  the  language  of  Dr.  Nor- 
bury, — the  mental  habit,  or  mental  characteristics,  or  suscept- 
ibility of  the  mother.  Fourth — That  maternal  anticipation 
of  defect  in  the  child,  has  in  itself  no  influence,  in  the  absence 
of  a  strong  impression.  Fifth — That  the  impression  need 
not  be  lasting  to  cause  defects.  Sixth — That  personal  ma- 
ternal injury  is  no  more  likely  to  mark  the  child,  than  the 
sight  of  it  in  another.  Seventh — That  the  defect  is  not  nec- 
essarily similar  in  location  or  appearance  to  the  object  creating 
the  impression,  but  is  likely  to  be.  These  conclusions  of  Dr. 
Work,  based  as  they  are  upon  such  weighty  authority,  must 
be  recognized  as  definitely  proving  the  possibility  of  defects 
in  the  [prospective  child]  arising  from  this  unusual  cause. 
Hitherto  the  subject  has  been  largely  shrouded  in  mystery 
and  popular  superstition." 

On  page  560  of  the  sa  me  work  there  is  a  case  of  congeni- 
tal rickets,  reported  by  Dr.  R.  Osgood  Mason:  "The  parents 
were  unusual  specimens  of  health  and  vigor.  A  severe  fright 
to  the  mother  (six  months  before  the  birth  of  this  child)  is 
suggested  as  a  possible  cause." 

The  American  Text  Book  of  Obstetrics  says:  "A  belief  so 
universal,  as  that  of  maternal  impressions  affecting  the  pros- 
pective child,  and  adhered  to  through  centuries,  is  rarely  en- 
tirely fallacious,  especially  when  the  subject  is  based  upon 
observation." 

Dr.  Fordyce  Barker  says:  "The  weight  of  authority  must 
be  conceded  to  be  in  favor  of  the  idea  that  maternal  impres- 


A  WORD  TO  PROFESSIONALS.  25 

sions  may  affect  the  growth,  form,  and  character  of  the  form- 
ing child." 

Dr.  W.  C.  Dabney  says:  "From  time  immemorial,  there 
has  been  a  popular  belief  that  impressions  made  upon  the 
mind  of  a  prospective  mother  would  cause  defects  in  her  child. 
There  are  two  classes  of  defects — mental  and  bodily — and  they 
should  be  considered  separately.  The  mental  defect  may  be 
due  to  violent  emotional  disturbances  of  the  mother  before 
the  birth  of  her  child.  It  is  generally  acknowledged  by  those 
who  have  given  the  most  attention  to  the  subject  that  the 
character  of  the  impression  is  of  great  importance.  Anxiety 
and  grief  seems  to  hold  the  first  place,  and  fear  the  second. 
So  far  as  I  can  learn,  great  joy  has  produced  no  appreciable 
effect." 

No  doubt  in  the  case  of  an  exceedingly  happy  child,  the 
cause  of  its  good  nature  has  never  been  investigated,  but  the 
mother's  joyous  mood  must  affect  it.  The  writer  has  only  in- 
vestigated one  such  case;  as  they  are  not  harmful,  they  have 
not  been  thoroughly  considered.  There  is  no  doubt,  that 
whenever  a  good-dispositioned  babe  is  born,  the  mother  was 
perfectly  contented  with  the  fact  that  she  was  to  become  a 
mother. 

Dr.  Dabney  says  further:  "It  is  useless  to  speculate  upon 
the  manner  in  which  maternal  impressions  influence  the  men- 
tal development  and  character  of  the  child.  Upon  this  point 
we  know  absolutely  nothing." 

Bodily  defects  have  been  attributed  to  maternal  impres- 
sion by  many  writers,  and  why  they  have  ignored  the  mental- 
ity is,  to  say  the  least,  incomprehensible.  They  admit  the 
mother's  ability  to  shape  or  change  the  body  from  a  normal 
to  an  abnormal  one,  and  some  writers,  advance  theories  which 
are  illogical  and  purely  speculative.  Bodily  defects  are  ap- 
parent at  birth,  a  mental  defect  is  noticeable  at  a  later  period, 
and  by  that  time  the  mental  distress,  if  any,  which  occured, 
has  been  forgotten  by  the  mother,  therefore  more  difficult  to 
investigate. 


26     •  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

Dr.  Dabney  refers  to  Kokitansky,  a  writer  of  sound  judg- 
ment, who  says:  "The  question  whether  mental  emotions  do 
influence  the  development  of  the  child  must  be  answered,  Yes ! 
One  of  the  strongest  arguments  against  maternal  impression 
is  that  all  deformities  are  due  to  errors  of  development."  He 
says:  "There  are  two  difficulties  in  the  way  of  this  objection. 
It  presupposes  that  all  defects  are  errors  of  development, 
which  is  not  the  case,  PS  marks  have  occurred  late  in  the  de- 
velopment." 

To  show  that  an  injury  may  occur  at  a  late  date,  the  fol- 
lowing case  is  taken  from  the  record  of  the  London  Obstet- 
rical Society,  reported  by  Ashburton  Thompson,  on  April  4, 
1877:  "A  woman  was  shocked  upon  seeing  a  man  who  had 
an  artificial  wind  pipe.  Its  opening  was  directly  under  the 
chin.  Two  months  later  her  child  was  born  with  an  opening 
in  its  throat  in  the  same  position/' 

Dr.  Dabney  says  further:  "It  is  not  a  question  as  to  how 
maternal  impressions  produce  deformities,  but  whether  tltcy 
((dually  do  produce  them.  Upon  this  question  there  are 
various  points  to  be  considered,  i.  e.,  the  period  at  which  the 
impression  was  made,  the  similarity  of  the  defect  in  the  child 
to  the  object  making  the  impression  upon  the  mother,  the 
duration  of  the  impression  necessary  to  produce  the  effect, 
the  character  of  the  impressions  which  are  liable  to  produce 
the  result." 

He  reports  97  cases:  21  hare  lips,  21  defects  of  the  upper 
extremities,  8  of  the  lower,  8  of  the  ears.  4  of  the  eyes,  20  of 
the  head,  neck  and  trunk,  15  of  the  skin  and  hair.  Period, 
from  before  marriage  up  to  four  months  after,  and  he  adds: 
"It  does  not  seem  possible  that  such  cases  can  occur  at  four 
months,  but  that  a  retrograde  process  is  within  the  bounds  of 
possibility."  The  case  reported  to  the  London  society  proves 
that  it  is  possible.  This  would  go  to  show  that  a  mother 
should  exercise  prudential  care  up  to  the  birth  of  her  babe. 

Dr  Dabney  says  further:  "With  the  light  before  us,  it  is 
advisable  that  a  woman  during  this  period  should  guard  her- 


A   WORD  TO  PROFESSIONALS.  27 

self  against  strong  emotional  disturbances  of  every  kind,  for 
fear  of  the  effect  upon  her  unborn  child.  Few  as  are  the  in- 
stances in  which  deformities  are  traceable  to  maternal  impres- 
sions, they  are  sufficiently  numerous  and  distressing  when 
they  do  occur,  to  necessitate  care  on  the  mother's  part." 

It  is  not  necessary  for  a  mother  to  be  conscious  of  such 
impressions,  or  to  expect  a  defect,  for  such  a  defect  to  occur. 
Dr.  Drennan.  of  Iowa,  reports  the  case  of  a  boy  born  to  Mrs. 
G.,  who  was  minus  a  hand.  Her  brother,  who  had  lost  his 
hand  before  Mrs.  G.  was  born,  visited  her  shortly  after  her 
marriage,  and  assisted  Mr.  G.  in  working  on  the  farm.  Mrs. 
G.  saw  her  brother  morning,  noon  and  night,  but  she  was  not 
conscious  that  it  would  have  such  an  effect  upon  her  babe; 
there  was  no  shock  or  scare,  simply  the  quiet,  steady  mental 
impression. 

Dr.  Hirst  says:  "A  great  fright,  if  it  does  not  kill  the 
child,  -may  diminish  its  mental  capacity.  We  must  admit 
that  while  we  cannot  explain  the  susceptibility  displayed  by 
an  unborn  child,  we  are  obliged  to  allow  that  the  fact  is  as 
well  established  as  any  in  medicine.  I  had  occasion  to 
administer  hyperdermic  injections  to  a  woman  in  the  early 
stages.  Her  child  was  born  with  identical  spots  upon  its 
arms." 

Dr.  Talcot,  surgeon  at  the  Woman's  Hospital,  New  York, 
says:  "I  must  say  that  I  always  had  considerable  skepticism 
as  to  maternal  impression,  and  it  arose  from  my  ignorance  of 
the  subject.  If  sudden  fright  will  produce  malformation, 
why  will  not  fits  of  anger  or  depression  also  affect  the  pros- 
pective child." 

The  following  is  inserted  to  show  how  the  world  was  per- 
meated by  superstition  upon  the  subject  of  the  imperfect 
development  of  human  beings.  In  the  seventeenth  century 
all  monstrosities  were  regarded  as  entailed  upon  parents,  as 
punishment  in  consequence  of  divine  wrath,  or  they  were  the 
result  of  demoniacal  influence.  The  latter  view  was  general. 
It  was  held  that  God  could  not  create  such  frightful  objects; 


28  MATERXAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

they  were  Satanic  creatures.  One  distinguished  authority  of 
that  age,  Riolanus  says:  ''Children  with  six  fingers,  giants, 
and  dwarfs,  who  are  made  after  the  image  of  the  devil,  may 
be  allowed  to  live."  In  the  time  of  Cicero,  with  its  enlight- 
ened philosophy,  monstrosities  were  regarded  as  special 
harbingers  of  calamity,  hence  the  name  Monsirare.  There 
are  500  cases  of  double  monsters  reported  by  Forster  and  to 
elaborate  upon  them  would  weary  the  reader. 

This  work  contains  a  record  of  cases,  which  will  convince 
any  unprejudiced  reader  that  the  members  of  the  medical 
profession  quoted  are  correct,  i.  e.,  that  maternal  impressions 
do  affect  the  unborn  child. 

Mrs.  B.,  of  W.,  said:  ''When  my  grandchild  was  born  it  was 
of  the  average  weight  and  appearance.  Three,  four,  five,  six 
months  rolled  around;  it  did  not  grow  fat  and  plump  as  all 
healthy  babies  should.  I  tried  many  different  foods;  asked 
every  mother  I  knew,  and  tested  their  plans,  but  to  no  pur- 
pose; the  babe  did  not  improve  in  weight,  though  otherwise 
healthy.  One  day  I  said  to  my  daughter,  'What  did  you  long 
for?'  At  first  she  could  think  of  nothing;  I  urged  her  to  tax 
her  memory.  'Oh,  yes!  I  wanted  some  salt  pork  for  cooking, 
and  C.  (her  husband)  had  forgotten  to  get  it.'  Acting  upon 
that  hint,  I  boiled  a  piece  of  salt  pork;  when  cold,  gave  the 
baby  very  small  pieces  of  it,  which  it  greedily  devoured,  and 
from  that  moment  it  improved.  She  was  given  a  little  every 
day."  And  Mrs.  B.  added,  "You  have  seen  her,  she  is  just  as 
hearty  as  any  child  of  her  age." 

Mrs.  B.  is  a  very  intelligent  woman  who  was  willing  to 
relate  this  incident  for  the  benefit  of  other  mothers  and 
babies.  This  is  inserted  here  for  physicians  who  may  have 
been,  or  will  be.  puzzled  with  cases  beyond  their  comprehen- 
sion; and  the  skeptical  scientist  is  also  advised  to  read  the 
test  case  of  Mrs.  S.,  of  R.  (Chapter  XXIV.)  If  either  address 
of  these  ladies  is  desired  for  verification,  it  will  be  sent  upon 
application  to  the  author  of  this  work. 


WHA T  ARE  MA TERXA L  IMPRESSIONS ?  29 


CHAPTER  II. 

WHAT  ARE  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS? 

"This  world  is  no  blot  for  us,  or  blank;  it  means  intensely,  and  means  good;  to 
find  its  meaning  is  my  meat  and  drink-"— Browning. 

"Go  back  to  nature,  compare  our  abstracts  with  her  facts,  her  workings  with 
our  conceptions  of  them." — Argyle. 

By  the  term  "maternal  impression,"  is  meant,  that  the 
mother's  wishes  and  desires  affect  the  brain  structure  of  her 
offspring,  through  which  the  mother's  mentality  is  reproduced 
in  her  child," and  its  action,  will  and  desire  is  ruled  by  its  brain 
formation;  that  the  mother's  mentality  will  also  give  char- 
acter, shape  and  form  to  its  features,  its  body  and  its  limbs, 
thus  producing  a  counterpart  of  the  ideal  which  engrossed 
her  mind  at  that  time.  Every  idea,  fancy,  conceit,  or  notion, 
good  or  bad;  every  mean  or  licentious  thought;  every  pure, 
noble,  elevating  sentiment  that  possesses  her  at  any  moment 
of  time,  while  the  development  of  her  child  is  in  progress, 
will,  through  the  application  of  a  positive  law  of  nature— like 
produces  like,  or,  to  be  more  exact,  similar  produces  similar- 
ity— generate  the  same  characteristics  in  the  offspring.  A 
noted  author  says:  "The  process  by  which  man  is  born  into 
the  world,  and  the  circumstances  which  go  to  make  him  what 
he  is,  whether  it  be  a  theologian  or  a  scapegrace,  a  mathema- 
tician or  a  fool,  concerns  us  all.  It  is  a  subject  of  universal 
interest  and  of  vital  importance,  whether  it  be  considered 
from  a  physical,  moral,  social,  or  medical  standpoint.  It  lies 
at  the  foundation  of  all  human  improvement  and  enduring 
progress." 


30  MATE3\AL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  child  inherits  its  organic 
life  and  its  mentality  from  the  parent,  as  the  apple  tree  in- 
herits its  structure  and  quality  from  the  parent  apple  tree. 
But  why  does  the  apple  tree,  upon  some  of  its  branches,  pro- 
duce wholesome  fruit,  and  upon  others,  wormy,  crabbed, 
gnarled  and  unhealthy  fruit?  We  leave  this  question  to 
the  horticultural  scientist  to  answer.  Why  do  parents  who 
are  physically  and  mentally  sound,  produce  children  who  are 
like  themselves  in  all  respects,  so  far  as  we  can  see,  then  pro- 
duce one  who  is  mentally  and  physically  deformed?  In  one 
case,  a  child  who  is  a  blessing  to  the  world,  and  the  other,  a 
blight  upon  them  or  a  curse  to  itself  and  an  injury  to  all  with 
whom  it  comes  in  contact"? 

Why  this  variety  under  the  same  circumstances,  if.  as  we 
are  told  by  scientists,  that  heredity  is  the  all  powerful  factor? 
How  much  of  the  mannerisms,  character,  good  and  bad  tem- 
per, likes  and  dislikes,  do  the  parents  give  the  child,  and  why 
not  to  one  child  the  same  as  to  the  other? 

The  study  of  this  work  will  clear  away  a  great  deal  of  the 
mystery  which  surrounds  this  question.  Good  and  logical 
reasons  are  given  why  human  characters  are  as  they  are. 
Ao  school  of  philosophy,  up  to  dale,  Jtas  been  able  to  do 
Hi  is.  Its  study  will  teach  the  reader  how  to  begin  an  investi- 
gation of  various  phenomena  in  the  cause  of  mental  varieties 
of  mankind,  as  well  as  physical  imperfections. 

We  are  living  in  an  age  of  profound  investigation  which 
demands  facts,  but  have  unsettled  convictions  in  regard  to 
many  fundamental  truths.  Some  are  of  vital  importance  to 
the  welfare  of  mankind.  One  of  these  truths — unsolved — is 
the  cause  of  the  many  peculiar  natures  in  the  human  species. 
Among  them  are  many  types  of  criminals,  and  those  who  are 
born  physically  deformed — the  club-footed,  those  with  hand- 
less  arms,  the  congenital  blind  and  deaf,  as  well  as  many 
other  deformities  with  which  humanity  is  afflicted — and  the 
study  of  this  work  will  teach  how  to  avoid  the  production  of 


WHAT  APE  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIONS?  31 

all  such  if  the  subject  is  comprehended;  nor  will  it  be  at  all 
difficult  to  understand. 

It  is  evident  that  110  investigation  can  be  had  upon  the 
subject,  nor  can  its  study  begin,  unless  it  is  based  upon 
hypothesis.  Advance  in  scientific  knowledge  is  always  made 
by  guess,  then  is  confronted  by  facts,  these  with  new  facts 
that  are  made  more  or  less  possible  but  not  certain;  inces- 
sant testing  and  guessing  will  throw  ligh  t  upon  the  subject, 
and  men  of  sound  intellect  will  always  welcome  earnest  and 
honest  investigation;  it  is  only  narrow  minds  that  refuse  to 
examine  any  new  facts  in  the  study  of  man. 

The  student  must  leave  all  old  ideas  out  of  the  ques- 
tion while  pursuing  the  investigation  of  any  phenomena 
on  the  line  of  maternal  impressions.  In  recordi  ng  the  facts 
and  drawing  conclusions  therefrom,  he  must  provide  an  argu- 
ment which  will  be  clear  and  easily  comprehended.  The 
classification  of  facts,  and  the  relation  they  bear  to  each 
other,  as  well  as  the  conclusions,  must  be  as  near  irrefutable 
as  it  is  possible  to  make  them.  When  investigating  a  phe- 
nomena, every  possible  precaution  should  be  taken  to  get 
accurate  results.  "Doubt  is  always  the  first  stage  toward  a 
scientific  inquiry ."  In  the  practical  study  of  any  phenomena, 
jt  will  be  necessary  to  accept  theories  as  a  guide,  and  through 
the  phenomena  the  student  will  be  able  to  get  a  clearer  insight 
into  the  relation  which  certain  facts  bear  to  the  subject  which 
is  under  invest  igation.  A  scientific  study  is  something  more 
than  putting  facts  together;  they  must  be  examined  in  their 
true  relation  to  each  other,  and  it  is  essential  that  no  facts  be 
omitted  in  forming  a  conclusion.  Theories  are  safe  only 
when  they  point  and  lead  to  correct  results,  and  are  so  far 
valuable  as  they  are  measured  by  the  importance  of  the  sub- 
ject which  can  be  explained  by  them.  Do  not  attempt  to 
solve  a  problem  with  theories  which  are  not  supported  by 
sound  reasons  and  facts  that  have  a  bearing  upon  the  ques- 
tion. Experience  is  a  much  safer  guide,  and  where  it  can  be 
had,  it  is  always  surer  than  theory. 


32  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

Careful  research  will  be  necessary  in  examining  any  ab- 
stract phenomena,  and  it  must  be  studied  in  the  concrete. 
An  astronomer  does  not  have  the  whole  universe  at  his  dis- 
posal. A  thorough  study  of  that  which  is  in  his  grasp  will 
give  him  an  insight  into  the  laws  which  govern  the  whole; 
only  from  minute  subjects  in  any  line  of  investigation  can 
the  greater  or  completed  structure  be  correctly  studied,  and 
only  through  close  scrutiny  can  one  arrive  at  a  definite  con- 
clusion. The  accuracy  of  a  conclusion  is  in  proportion  to 
the  extent  and  correct  observation  of  the  various  facts  which 
are  found,  and  when  there  are  no  exceptions  in  the  sequence 
of  cause  and  effect,  the  conclusion  may  be  relied  upon.  Some 
events  may  be  disturbed  by  circumstances  which  modify  or 
prevent  an  expected  occurrence;  the  careful  notation  of  all 
influences  and  their  extent  must  Tae  considered  to  enable  one 
to  arrive  at  a  proper  solution.  This  method,  from  detail  to 
generalities,  is  necessary  in  the  case  of  a  problem  in  pre-natal 
influence. 

In  an  investigation  of  this  theory  and  its  bearing  upon 
the  cause  of  varieties,  it  is  essential  that  all  the  causes  which 
make  for  or  against  the  phenomena  be  carefully  considered, 
and  the  conclusions  should  not  be  hastily  drawn. 

If  you  decide  that  maternal  impressions  had  no  bearing 
upon  the  problem,  it  will  be  found  that  in  the  investigation 
of  that  particular  case,  a  factor  has  been  omitted,  and  you 
have  not  considered  that  the  person  interviewed  does  not 
always  remember  an  impression  that  she  must  have  had.  We 
say  must,  from  the  fact  that  the  peculiarity  did  not  originate 
of  its  own  accord,  and  there  is  a  factor  for  the  student  to 
locate  before  a  proper  solution  can  be  had. 

Investigate  the  mother's  mentality.  Is  she  of  sluggish 
disposition,  or  is  her  memory  poor?  In  either  case,  she  may 
say:  "I  did  not  have  any  earnest  desire  on  the  line  you  are 
investigating;  if  I  had,  no  doubt  it  would  have  been  strong 
enough  to  enable  me  to  remember  it,"  or,  "That  scare  which 
I  received  was  only  momentary,  and  it  did  not  make  a  strong 


THE  CAUSE  OF  VARIATION  IN  MAN.  33 

impression,  so  I  gave  it  no  further  thought"  (see  case  of  Mrs. 
T's  child  with  defective  eye),  in  such  a  case  the  factor  that 
should  be  carefully  weighed,  is,  Is  the  mother's  memory  good, 
and  can  it  be  relied  upon? 

If  the  mother's  mind  is  largely  engrossed  with  an  idea,  as 
for  instance  in  the  case  of  Professor  Herron  (see  chapter  on 
Christian  Character),  where  his  mother's  mind  was  filled  with 
the  desire  that  her  child  should  be  an  earnest  disciple  of  the 
Savior.  In  such  a  case  her  offspring  will  be  wholly  imbued 
and  influenced  by  that  desire,  and  will  show  it  in  every  wak- 
ing moment;  but  if  the  mother  has  only  a  momentary  impres- 
sion, which  for  a  short  time  engrosses  her  mind,  then  only 
slight  effects  will  be  noticed,  or,  through  environment,  be 
completely  subdued.  If  the  mother's  impressions  occur  every 
month  or  more,  and  they  are  strong,  then  the  uncontrollable 
desire  will  seize  the  individual  at  certain  periods. 

This  explains  the  desire  of  some  persons  to  drink  to  excess 
periodically,  and  the  remark  is  often  heard  that  a  certain  per- 
son gets  on  a  spree  once  or  twice  a  year.  There  are  very  few 
mothers  who  do  not  remember  strong  impressions,  as  such 
incidents  are  apt  to  linger  and  cannot  be  forgotten. 

In  the  study  of  maternal  impressions,  mild  cases,  as  well 
as  those  which  are  strongly  marked,  should  be  investigated. 
No  single  case  can  be  taken,  upon  which  to  form  a  conclusion 
as  to  the  cause  of  varieties.  It  will  be  necessary  to  examine 
various  personalities,  thus  enabling  the  investigator,  through 
many  repetitions  of  similar  phenomena,  to  arrive  at  definite 
conclusions. 

MATERNAL   IMPRESSION   THE  CAUSE   OF   VARIATION   IN   MAN. 

"I  seem  to  myself  like  a  child,  playing:  on  the  sea  shore,  and  picking  up  here 
and  there  a  curious  stone,  or  pretty  pebble,  while  the  boundless  ocean  of  truth 
lies  undiscovered  before  me."— Sir  Isaac  Newton. 

It  is  well  to  be  clear  as  to  what  is  meant  by  variation.  The 
type  is  hereditary ;  variation  is  congenital  modification.  This 
work  does  not  assume  to  give  any  facts  as  to  how  the  various 


34  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

types  of  man  originated;  it  does,  however,  teach  how  the 
mental  variations  are  produced,  and  that  leads  incidentally  to 
physical  variations,  such  as  abnormities  and  monstrosities. 
Nor  does  it  pretend  to  give  a  scientific  exposition  of  the  cause, 
but  it  is  a  basis  from  which  studies  can  be  made  that  will 
lead  to  a  clearer  conception,  and  more  knowledge  of  the  cause 
of  the  various  types  of  mankind.  There  was  no  intent  at  the 
inception  of  this  work,  to  take  up  the  subject  of  physical 
varieties.  But  it  was  compulsory  so  far  as  its  relation  to 
abnormal  physical  development  was  concerned. 

Eventually  the  basic  principle  of  the  cause  of  physical 
varieties  in  man  will  be  found  to  have  originated  in  maternal 
impressions,  influenced  by  environment.  Of  this  there  is  not 
a  doubt  in  the  mind  of  the  writer.  Every  case  which  has 
been  investigated,  the  blind,  the  deaf,  the  club-footed,  all 
so-called  birth  marks;  in  short,  all  abnormities  led  directly  to 
pre-natal  impressions,  cs  the  prime  or  controlling  factor. 
There  was  no  way  to  escape  the  conclusion,  and  it  was  im- 
possible to  formulate  any  other  premise  to  explain  the  causes. 

To  find  the  cause  of  the  increase  of  crime,  as  well  as  the 
many  unfortunate  victims  of  their  mother's  ignorance,  the 
blind,  the  deaf,  and  those  otherwise  maimed,  was  the  impel- 
ling reason  for  this  study,  and  the  interest  taken  in  the  sub- 
ject was  solely  that  some  good  might  be  done.  It  may  seem 
presumptuous  for  the  writer  to  say  that  he  had  discovered 
the  cause  of  varieties;  but  that  some  facts  have  been  added 
to  the  very  limited  general  knowledge  of  the  subject  found  in 
the  many  voluminous  works  in  libraries,  and  that  tho  clue  is 
given  to  the  solution  of  the  question,  will  be  admitted  by  all 
who  will  carefully  follow  the  line  of  argument.  The  informa- 
tion that  the  reader  will  find,  and  the  way  to  avoid  the  dan- 
gers which  beset  an  expected  child,  that  would  affect  its 
whole  life,  for  weal  or  woe,  is  made  so  clear  to  the  reader,  that 
the  most  uninformed  person  who  can  read  and  comprehend 
simple  English,  will  understand  it  and  will  get  a  clearer  in- 
sight into  what  seems  so  mysterious.  That  the  cause  of  men- 


THE  CAUSE  OF  VARIATION  L\  MAN.  35 

tal  disorder  and  the  cause  of  physical  deformities  is  made  in- 
telligible will  not  be  questioned  by  any  fairmmded  reader'  of 
the  most  scientific  turn  of  mind.  Some  facts  were  found  in 
medical  works,  which  led  to  a  few  deductions,  but  as  a  class, 
medical  writers  have  refused  to  investigate  the  subject,  and 
there  are  only  a  few  leading  minds  among  them  who  admit 
that  maternal  impressions  have  a  bearing  in  the  formation 
of  abnormities  or  monstrosities  of  mankind. 

In  this  investigation,  no  man's  dictum,  or  dogmatic  asser- 
tion, has  been  accepted  because  of  his  standing.  All  argu- 
ments were  carefully  weighed  and  if  found  wanting,  were  dis- 
carded; nor  was  the  opinion  of  the  humblest  discredited,  if 
sustained  by  facts.  In  this  work  a  plan  has  been  adopted 
that  very  few  authors  have  been  able  to  follow,  which  was  to 
read  the  various  subjects  to  casual  acquaintances.  The  writ- 
er's business  has  enabled  him  to  do  this,  and  every  objection, 
or  idea  gathered,  has  been  carefully  digested,  and  if  valid  ac- 
cepted. Professional  men  were  called  on,  from  whom  techni- 
cal ideas  have  been  gleaned,  criticisms  requested,  and  carefully 
weighed.  Various  state  institutions  have  been  visited,  but 
the  most  valuable  data  has  been  obtained  by  interviewing 
mothers  in  their  homes.  In  this  manner  much  information 
has  been  acquired,  and  a  critical  analysis  given  to  it,  coming 
as  it  has  from  various  intellects.  Such  criticisms  could  not 
have  been  had  if  this  work  had  been  formulated  in  a  labor- 
atorjr,  written  in  a  library  and  criticised  by  some  professional, 
who  would  have  been  unable  to  look  at  the  subject  from  dif- 
ferent stand-points,  and  who  would  have  been  led  by  the 
argument  to  accept  the  views  of  the  writer  as  the  subject  was 
unfolded.  Common  sense,  reason  and  observation  have  been 
called  into  action  in  this  investigation,  and  no  preconceived 
ideas  have  been  allowed  to  influence  conclusions.  In  this 
search  for  truth  we  have  knocked  at  all  doors  behind  which 
there  were  any  facts  that  would  lead  to  a  knowledge  of  cause 
and  effect;  appeals  to  imagination  were  never  made,  nor  are 
speculations  set  up  for  facts.  Some  scientists  have  said  that 


36  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

it  is  impossible  for  the  mind  of  man  to  understand  the  phe- 
nomena of  human  varieties.  It  would  have  been  more  scien- 
tific to  advise  the  student  to  accept  no  man's  dictum.  Inves- 
tigate, study  carefull}7,  comprehend  what  is  found,  if  possible, 
and  if  unable  to  unlock  the  secret  of  nature,  then,  and  not 
until  then,  give  up. 

It  is  said  by  scientific  men,  that  the  cause  of  the  varieties 
of  organic  nature  has  not  been  discovered,  and  judging  from 
the  many  books  written  upon  the  subject  of  man  and  his 
origin,  the  question  they  were  after,  was,  where  did  man's 
organism  come  from?  This  phase  of  the  subject  has  not 
been  considered;  it  has  been  so  thoroughly  elaborated  by  abler 
minds,  who  have  arrived  at  no  definite  conclusion.  In  this, 
work,  the  causes  of  the  various  peculiarities  of  man's  mental 
nature  is  the  subject  to  which  attention  is  called,  and  his 
physical  nature,  as  it  appears,  incidentally.  The  attempt  to 
show  the  cause  of  varieties  will  be  followed  by  a  clearer  so- 
lution of  the  problem,  and  this  premise,  with  its  conclusions, 
is  more  logical,  containing  more  nuclei  from  which  to  work 
problems  than  has  ever  before  been  promulgated.  If  those 
who  contest  the  conclusions,  will  logically  combat  them,  new 
facts  will  appear,  and  the  result  will  be  a  clearer  concep- 
tion of  the  cause  of  varieties.  A  more  perfect  knowledge  will 
be  attained  by  patient  and  careful  attention  to  the  fixed  and 
constant  laws  of  nature,  using  the  best  talent  each  one  has. 
Thus  the  secret  of  nature  may  be  more  fully  unfolded. 

Whether  the  varieties  in  man  are  the  result  of  a  perversion 
of  natural  laws,  or  whether  they  are  in  harmony  with  them, 
is  the  fundamental  question,  and  whether,  with  a  knowledge 
of  the  natural  laws  that  govern  reproduction,  it  is  possible  to 
attain  a  higher  standard;  that  is,  Can  the  masses  be  elevated 
in  the  moral  scale?  To  this  the  answer  is,  yes,  and  this  work 
tries  to  show  how  it  can  be  done.  Its  study  will  teach  how 
to  alleviate  some  of  the  misery  in  the  future,  by  preventing 
the  birth  of  monstrosities  and  malformations,  which  are  now 
so  prevalent.  There  are  no  lack  of  subjects.  This  work  could 


THE  CAUSE  OF  VARIATION  IN  MAN.  37 

have  been  extended  far  beyond  the  limits  assigned  to  it,  but 
it  would  weary  the  average  reader,  for  whose  benefit  it  is 
published. 

In  all  phenomena  which  relates  to  human  characteristics 
there  is  found  the  same  stimulus,  and  all  effects  lead  inevit- 
ably to  the  same  cause,  therefore  repetitions  in  such  investi- 
gations were  unavoidable.  There  was  no  way  to  avoid  a 
recurrence  of  the  same  language  to  make  the  subject  clear  to 
the  average  reader.  This  fact  of  itself,  if  the  work  was  elab- 
orated, would  make  such  a  book  tiresome.  After  this  volume 
has  been  studied,  a  person  of  fair  ability  will  be  able  to  solve 
almost  any  problem  in  the  line  of  peculiarities  that  may  be 
noticed.  The  study  has  led  into  a  much  wider  field  than  was 
expected,  and  as  it  opened,  and  its  immense  importance  to 
mankind  became  obvious,  it  dawned  upon  the  author  that 
here  is  a  subject  which  overshadows  all  other  questions,  and. 
that  it  is  the  key  note  to  the  elevation  of  humanity. 

In  making  an  investigation,  unexpected  factors  appeared, 
which  I  was  compelled  to  study  to  arrive  at  a  correct  con- 
clusion, and  the  labor  necessary  to  a  proper  solution  was 
greatly  enhanced.  In  searching  for  material  to  study,  there 
has  been  much  laborious  work,  as  there  are  110  authorities 
who  give  any  clue  as  to  the  cause  of  varieties  which  could  be 
used  as  a  starting  point.  The  investigation  has  been  carried 
over  a  wide  field,  not  by  laboratory  methods,  but  in  the  realm 
of  real  life,  which  is  an  experience  that  few  have  been  enabled 
to  acquire — that  is,  in  the  study  of  man's  mentality.  It  has 
taken  a  great  deal  of  self-denial  to  get  the  data  in  many 
cases — to  mix  among  the  indolent,  idiots,  and  criminals;  to 
delve  into  libraries  without  any  appreciable  benefit.  But 
there  is  a  satisfaction  in  knowing  that  new  ideas  are  coming 
to  the  front  which  will  benefit  mankind.  The  ideas  here 
given  may  seem  radical,  but  there  is  a  consolation  to  one  who 
is  looking  for  facts  in  knowing  that  if  the  conclusions  are 
erroneous,  the  mistakes  will  soon  be  discovered.  It  is  truth 
we  are  after — not  alone  because  it  is  truth — but  that  it  may 


38  MATERIAL  LMPRESSIOXS. 

benefit  humanity.  '  The  subject  is  so  vast,  and  lies  not  only 
at  the  foundation  of  good  morals,  but  also  physical  perfection. 

The  subject  which  should  engross  the  mind  and  energy  of 
the  humanitarian  is,  "What  will  be  beneficial  to  the  human 
race;  what  will  elevate  and  ennoble  it?"  This  naturally  leads 
to  the  question  under  consideration — the  cause  of  varieties. 
It  is  Uie  question  of  all  questions,  and  it  must  be  considered 
before  there  can  be  any  permanent  improvement  of  the 
masses.  As  society  is  organized  at  present,  both  church  and 
state  are  resting  upon  an  unstable  foundation.  If  the  law  of 
Reversion  to  Type*  is  a  fact,  and  all  scientists  admit  it,,  then  it 
is  essential  to  the  welfare  of  the  nation  to  know  how  to  coun- 
teract that  law.  Mankind  must  go  on  developing  successively 
higher  planes,  or  it  will  retrograde.  There  is  no  such  thing 
as  repose  in  nature.  Opposing  forces  are  constantly  at  work. 
Nothing  in  nature  stands  still. 

The  reason  why  so  many  human  beings  are  born  crimi- 
nals must  be  more  intelligently  comprehended,  and  means  in- 
stituted to  produce  good  citizens  in  place  of  the  dependent 
classes.  If  this  is  not  done,  then  all  efforts  for  the  moral  im- 
provement of  the  race  in  the  future  will  be  thwarted,  as  it  is 
at  present,  and  the  result  of  all  humanitarian  work  will  be 
only  partially  successful.  The  Creator  has  endowed  man  with 
intelligence  that  enables  him  to  understand  the  laws  which 
govern  the  universe,  and  the  Christian  world  professes  to 
know  the  laws  which  God  has  laid  down  for  man's  moral 
guidance;  but  they  have  neglected  to  study  or  have  overlooked 
the  natural  laws  which  govern  the  reproduction  of  the  race, 
and  by  conforming  to  those  laws,  do  the  will  of  God  as 
required.  The  very  fact  of  the  existence  of  such  laws  is 
evidence  that  it  is  God's  will.  One  who  attempts  to  investi- 
gate the  cause  of  varieties,  is  confronted  at  the  very  outset 
by  the  scientific  statement,  "That  mankind  came  from  a 
common  origin,  and  the  varied  characters  were  created  by  di- 

*The  law  of  Reversion  to  Type  is  argued  at  length  in  Chapter  V.,  to  which  the 
reader's  attention  is  called. 


THE  CAUSE  OF  VARIATION  IN  MAN.  39 

rect  act  of  Deity."  And  the  teaching  of  the  church  has  been, 
"That  man  is  endowed  with  his  character  by  the  Creator,  and 
that  it  is  the  will  of  God."  This  being  the  concensus  of 
opinion,  the  student  feels  that  he  is  liable  to  waste  his  time  and 
energy  in  attempting  to  find  the  cause  of  varieties. 

If  all  men  are  of  common  origin,  and  the  many  phases  of 
character  in  man  are  caused  by  the  direct  act  of  Deity,  why 
was  one  created  good  and  true,  another  such  a  fiend  incarnate? 
One  a  genius,  who  by  his  poetry  and  song  has  lifted  mankind 
to  a  nobler  plane,  the  other  a  foul  blot  upon  the  face  of  the 
earth, — cruelty  personified?  Man's  physical  nature  has  been 
thoroughly  examined  by  able  men,  and  his  bodily  structure 
carefully  studied.  It  is  not  essential  in  this  argument  to 
enter  into  that  phase  of  the  subject,  and  it  will  mainly  treat 
upon  the  moral  and  mental  varieties  in  man,  with  their  effects 
upon  the  social  and  business  life  of  the  age. 

In  an  investigation  of  any  phenomena,  all  facts  must  be 
considered.  Do  not  fail  to  examine  every  factor  which  may 
have  a  bearing  upon  the  problem.  Strongly  marked  peculi- 
arities are  the  easiest  to  investigate,  and  as  the  search  is  pro- 
longed, minor  cases  will  act  as  side  lights,  which  will  enable 
the  student  to  fathom  a  great  deal  that  is  now  a  hidden  page. 

It  will  be  impossible  to  study  humanity  as  a  whole;  indi- 
vidual cases  must  be  taken  and  studied  in  the  abstract.  As 
a  starting  point  in  an  investigation  of  the  cause  of  varieties, 
select  two  children  in  a  family  of  the  same  parentage,  whose 
tastes  and  desires  are  dissimilar,  who  are  not  alike  in  any 
sense.  To  illustrate:  One  is  very  modest  and  retiring  in  his 
manner;  quiet  and  unobtrusive,  of  a  phlegmatic  temperament; 
never  becomes  excited,  and  is  what  the  casual  observer  calls 
dull  of  comprehension,  with  no  love  for  the  bustle  and  excite- 
ment of  a  crowd.  The  other  inquisitive,  always  pushing  him- 
self to  the  front  to  find  out  what  is  going  on,  noisy  in  his 
manner,  full  of  energy,  quick  in  every  movement,  fond  of 
music,  which  is  shown  by  his  whistling  and  singing  when  at 
work  or  at  play.  Such  a  problem  may  be  too  difficult  for  a 


40  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

beginner,  as  it  will  take  closer  investigation  than  some  other 
cases,  because  in  this  phenomena,  the  variety  is  wholly  men- 
tal, the  difficulty  would  be  in  getting  facts  in  regard  to  the 
mother's  mental  condition  a  few  months  before  the  birth  of 
the  children.  Her  memory  may  be  poor,  and  her  mental  im- 
pressions at  those  periods  were  not  vivid  enough  to  fix  them- 
selves in  her  mind.  Some  have  a  poor  memory  on  one  line, 
and  good  upon  many  others.  This  is  a  factor  that  should  not 
be  overlooked.  As  the  student  progresses,  such  cases  can  be 
more  easily  fathomed.  In  the  language  of  a  well  known 
writer:  "One  case,  on  any  subject,  thoroughly  studied,  is 
worth  more  as  a  lesson,  than  a  hundred  simply  looked  at  from 
afar." 

A  case  like  the  following  will  be  much  easier  for  the  stu- 
dent to  begin  with.  Rev.  H.  and  wife,  of  K.,  have  dark  hair 
and  complexion ;  the  first  child  has  red  hair  and  a  freckled 
face.  The  father  sajrs  that  previous  to  the  birth  of  this  child 
his  wife  continually  thought  of  an  esteemed  friend,  and  men- 
tioned it  to  her  husband;  said  she  could  not  banish  from  her 
mind  the  thought  of  the  red  hair  and  freckles  of  this  friend. 
The  second  child  is  very  dark,  like  its  parents. 

In  the  case  of  a  deformity,  like  the  following,  it  is  very 
easy  to  get  facts.  A  simple  case:  Mrs.  K.,  of  A.,  was 
standing  in  the  yard;  her  young  husband  came  up  to  her, 
with  his  axe  upon  his  shoulder,  and  in  fun  struck  a  blow  into 
the  ground,  close  to  her  feet.  She  gave  birth  to  a  boy  with- 
out toes.  The  reader  says,  "He  should  have  known  better." 
True!  the  man  was  ignorant  of  its  effect,  and  his  wife  did  not 
know  how  to  overcome  the  consequences,  or,  more  likely,  did 
not  know  that  it  would  result  in  an  injury;  but  upon  the 
state,  or  the  parents  of  this  couple,  lies  the  blame  for  neglect- 
ing to  educate  upon  this  line. 

In  case  of  a  deformity,  the  mother  can  usually  give  a 
sufficient  reason,  unless  she  has  a  poor  memory.  The  student 
must  not  overlook  that  point.  Mental  variation  being  more 
complex,  and  the  element  of  time  having  interfered,  it  r*ill 


TRANSCENDENTALISM.  41 

not  be  so  easy  to  procure  the  evidence.     [This  is  more  fully 
explained  in  another  chapter.] 

It  is  well  known  that  no  two  persons  of  the  same  ancestry 
are  alike  in  appearance,  tastes,  desires  or  ability.  Tis  true, 
there  are  a  few  cases  where  twins  resemble  each  other  closely 
while  children,  but  intimate  friends  never  make  any  mistake 
after  the  twins  have  arrived  at  maturity.  The  Siamese  twins, 
who  were  connected  at  the  waist,  had  a  slight  resemblance  in 
facial  expression,  but  differed  in  taste  and  desires;  they  mar- 
ried women  who  were  not  alike  in  disposition.  An  investiga- 
tion in  the  case  of  twins  is  more  intricate  than  any  other 
phenomena,  and  it  was  a  knotty  problem.  The  deductions 
are  given  in  a  chapter  on  twins.  In  the  investigation  of  all 
human  phenomena  we  find  that  it  cannot  be  accounted  for  on 
the  basis  of  heredity,  and  the  theory  of  atavism  is  too  vague 
and  cannot  be  demonstrated. 

TRANSCENDENTALISM. 

If  the  reader  concludes  that  the  cause  of  varieties  is  trans- 
cendental, which  is,  that  the  many  peculiar  characters  in  man- 
kind, the  good,  the  bad,  and  the  indifferent,  were  created. by 
special  act  of  Providence,  it  will  be  found  that  such  a  theory 
lays  the  blame  for  the  creation  of  not  only  the  lame,  halt  and 
blind,  but  also  the  congenital  epileptics,  the  insane,  and  the 
criminals,  upon  the  Creator.  Those  who  hold  such  a  theory 
must  first  assign  an  adequate  reason  why  God  has  created 
men  and  women  who  are  detrimental  to  the  welfare  of  hu- 
manity, a  source  of  anxiety  to  their  friends,  and  a  blot  upon 
the  face  of  the  earth.  Second,  they  must  show  that  all  the 
facts  lead  to  and  produce  evidence  in  its  favor,  and  against 
the  creation  of  varieties  in  any  other  manner,  and  the  facts 
must  harmonize.  The  first  is  an  assignment  of  real  causes, 
and  would  be  a  correct  physical  theory,  because  physical 
cause  must  be  the  basis  of  argument  from  which  to  draw  con- 
clusions. The  second  would  be  accepted  as  a  logical  de- 
duction. The  first  line  of  argument  has  never  been  under- 
taken so  far  as  man's  moral  and  mental  nature'  is  concerned. 


42  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

The  well  known  biologist,  Prof.  La  Marck,  undertook  to 
prove  man's  physical  line  from  the  basis  of  the  first  argument, 
and  was  thoroughly  ridiculed.  He  gave  partly  real  and 
partly  insufficient  causes,  and  did  not  get  credit  for  any 
ability  on  that  line;  "And  his  attempt  to  prove  physical 
changes  through  the  appetite  and  habits  of  animals  which 
acted  upon  their  structures,  causing  a  modification  of  the 
organs,  was  said  to  be  a  failure."  This  is  the  opinion  of  a 
noted  biologist.  Later  investigations  tend  to  the  conviction 
that  Prof.  La  Marck  overlooked  an  important  factor,  viz:  The 
effect  of  climate  and  food  upon  the  mind  or  consciousness  of 
the  individual  organism.  It  is  now  contended  that  the  in- 
fluence of  climate  and  food  with  the  element  of  time,  does 
change  the  physical  structure,  and  affects  not  only  man  and 
animals,  but  plantlife. 

In  studying  the  problem  of  the  cause  of  varieties,  all 
truths  are  based  upon  hypothesis.  Reason  and  consciousness 
must  decide  that  there  is  a  foundation  as  a  basis  for  investi- 
gation, and  all  theories  should  be  founded  upon  facts.  It  is 
impossible  to  reason  correctly  from  a  false  premise.  Facts 
are  essential  to  any  proper  solution.  There  should  be  some 
reasonable  assurance  that  that  which  is  called  a  fact,  is  a  fact, 
before  an  attempt  is  made  to  explain  the  cause,  but  it  is  not 
essential  to  prove  the  fact  before  an  attempt  is  made  to  give  a 
reason  for  it. 

To  illustrate:  Take  as  a  study,  a  criminal  whose  whole 
ancestry  are  upright  and  honorable;  the  theory  assumed,  is, 
that  the  mother's  mental  condition  shaped  the  brain  of  that 
criminal,  so  that  he  is  unable  to  resist  the  desire  to  do  wrong. 
It  is  not  necessary  that  you  shall  prove  the  theory  before  you 
proceed  to  investigate  the  cause  of  his  criminal  action.  It  is 
sufficient  to  know  that  the  individual  persists  in  his  crimin- 
ality. In  that,  you  have  a  basis  upon  which  to  rest  your  hy- 
pothesis. To  a  perfect  and  proper  judgment  in  any  case,  all 
the  factors  that  have  a  bearing  upon  the  question  should  be 
considered  first.  Nor  is  the  gathering  of  facts  alone  suf- 


TRANSCENDENTALISM.  43 

ficient.  It  is  easy  to  string  a  lot  of  facts  together,  if  facts 
are  furnished,  but  when  an  attempt  is  made  to  analyze  them 
it  requires  intellectual  ability  superior  to  that  which  the 
average  man  possesses.  The  gathering  of  facts  alone  does 
not  satisfy  the  scientific  thinker.  Science  demands  causes, 
or  reasons,  why  the  facts  are  as  they  are 

"A  proposition  with  its  terms  well  defined  is  more  than  half  solved." 

If  the  proposition  is  not  clearly  stated,  and  there  is  a  su- 
perfluity of  words  which  are  generally  unintelligible,  they  are 
apt  to  mislead,  so  that  its  solution  is  liable  to  be  at  fault.  It 
might  by  chance  be  correct  but  it  would  not  be  safe  to  rely 
upon  it.  If  you  are  persistent  in  your  inquiry  and  investiga- 
tion, where  causation  can  be  studied,  you  will  in  time  arrive 
at  a  definite  conclusion.  It  is  urged  that  all  preconceived 
ideas  be  laid  aside ;  examine  the  facts,  make  your  deductions 
from  them,  then  interpret  the  facts  which  have  been  collected, 
and  draw  your  conclusions.  If  the  conclusions  agree  with 
your  ideas,  you  have  fortified  your  position  with  new  truths. 
If,  upon  the  contrary,  your  old  ideas  are  at  fault,  you  will  seek 
more  evidence  until  you  are  thoroughly  convinced  that  your 
conclusions  are  based  upon  sound  arguments. 

The  study  of  the  subject  will  become  more  and  more  in- 
teresting as  the  student  progresses,  until  the  cause  of  the 
various  peculiarities  in  individuals  that  one  meets,  will  be  as  an 
open  book.  It  is  hoped  that  in  this  work  some  light  may  be 
thrown  upon  the  subject  of  varieties,  thus  adding  to  the  gen- 
eral knowledge  of  a  question  that  seems  mysterious,  and 
which  eventually  some  abler  mind  may  fully  elucidate. 

Those  who  delight  to  investigate  that  which  is,  and 
who  are  pleased  when  they  have  discovered  and  traced  the 
various  phenomena,  and  noted  how,  through  the  operation  of 
some  natural  law,  all  organic  beings  adapt  themselves  to  their 
environment,  will  be  amply  repaid  by  a  careful  perusal  of 
this  work.  As  the  investigation  proceeds,  it  will  be  surpris- 
ing to  find  how  wide  a  field  is  opened  to  the  mental  vision  of 
the  investigator,  and,  in  searching  for  the  truth,  he  will  be 


44  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

overcome  by  a  profound  conviction  that  some  great  overrul- 
ing power  is  controlling  the  destiny  of  the  universe,  and  that 
mankind  is  under  the  influence  of  potencies  which  are  to  the 
majority  so  incomprehensible,  but  when  examined  under  the 
search-light  of  reason  and  common  sense,  are  very  plain  and 
easily  understood.  The  conclusion  to  which  the  study  of  this 
subject  leads,  is,  that  all  mental  varieties  in  human  nature 
are  traceable  to  two  causes;  the  first  is  heredity,  or,  "Similar 
produces  Similarity;"  the  second  is  heredity's  twin  and  pow- 
erful sister,  Maternal  Impressions.  The  law  which  underlies 
heredity  is  unquestioned;  all  scientists  agree  upoji  that  fact, 
that  is  to  say,  they  believe  heredity  governs  the  physical  or 
organic  nature,  but  I  have  doubts  as  to  its  influence  upon 
man's  mental  nature.  It  has  been  a  subject  for  a  vast  amount 
of  study,  as  to  why.  heredity  does  not  always  prevail.  No 
satisfactory  answer  can  be  found  in  the  work  of  any  scientist. 

This  work  shows  that  maternal  impressions,  generally 
known  as  pre-natal  influence,  is  a  more  powerful  factor  in  the 
cause  of  varieties,  and,  as  it  were,  sets  aside  the  law  of 
heredity.  When  the  subject  of  maternal  impression  is  «ompre- 
hended,  with  its  good  and  evil  effects  upon  the  life  and  char- 
acter of  mankind,  and  its  study  presented  in  such  a  manner  as 
not  to  offend  the  most  sensitive,  as  it  is  in  this  work,  no  intel- 
ligent person  will  say,  "This  is  too  delicate  a  subject  for  me." 

By  a  study  of  maternal  impression,  the  moral  powers  of 
posterity  can  be  improved  or  retarded.  It  will  instruct  the 
coming  mother  as  to  her  ability  in  that  direction,  and  show 
her  that  she  can,  at  irill,  produce  offspring  who  will  be  a 
blessing  to  her  and  to  the  world.  Her  duties  as  wife  and 
mother  will  be  seen  in  a  clearer  light,  and  through  all,  and 
above  all,  it  will  redound  to  the  glory  of  God,  by  the  produc- 
tion of  an  improved  race  of  beings. 

The  subject  of  maternal  or  pre-natal  impression,  the 
results  of  which  are  commonly  known  as  birth  marks,  was 
studied  by  the  author  from  a  love  of  investigation,  and  to 
acquire  a  knowledge  of  a  subject  that  seemed  full  of  mys- 


TRANSCENDENTALISM.  45 

teries,  with  no  expectation  of  adding  anything  to  the  general 
knowledge  of  the  question.  As  has  been  remarked,  the  pre- 
sumption was,  that  it  had  been  thoroughly  and  exhaustively 
treated  by  well  known  and  competent  scientists  of  the  age. 
But  upon  an  examination  of  the  many  voluminous  works 
upon  kindred  subjects,  such  as  "Biology,"  "Evolution," 
"Heredity"  and  "Atavism,"  as  well  as  many  other  works  that 
have  a  bearing  upon  man's  descent  or  ascent  from  the  prim- 
itive stage  to  the  present,  it  was  found  that  among  the  many 
writers,  no  reasons  are  given,  and  no  logical  explanation  for 
the  cause  of  varieties.  Nor  do  scientists  suggest  any  plan  by 
which  a  student  is  enabled  to  begin  an  investigation  of  the 
cause  of  the  various  mental  and  physical  peculiarities,  which 
are  found  in  humanity.  The  question  of  mental  influences, 
with  their  effect  upon  the  human  brain  structure  in  its  form- 
ative stage,  has  been  lightly  treated  by  a  few  scientists,  and 
unnoticed  by  the  many. 

Where  the  brain  structure  has  been  discussed,  it  was  gen- 
erally in  the  animal  and  insect  organism,  mainly  to  prove  the 
theory  of  evolution.  The  human  brain  has  been  ignored, 
except  as  to  its  physical  structure,  and  that,  merely  in  its 
relation  to,  and  the  bearing  it  had  upon,  the  question  of  phys- 
ical evolution,  and  by  anatomists  in  its  relation  to  diseases. 
Its  mentality  has  not  been  considered  to  the  extent  and  in  the 
manner  it  should  have  been,  when  man's  possibilities,  both 
mental  and  moral,  are  taken  into  consideration. 

In  all  works  upon  man  and  his  antecedents,  biology  is  the 
most  prominent.  'Tis  true,  that  in  its  fullest  sense,  the  term 
biology  includes  the  mind  of  man;  nevertheless,  the  fact 
remains  that  the  many  peculiar  mental  varieties  found  in  man 
are  not  investigated,  except  in  a  limited  manner,  principally 
by  the  criminologists,  and  the  student  is  bewildered  by  a  mass 
of  scholarly  verbiage,  which  only  leads  to  the  physical  aspect 
of  man.  as  well  as  to  all  other  breathing  organic  life. 

In  the  following  pages,  is  applied  the  best  efforts  of  ex- 
perience, and  an  intelligent  explanation  of  facts,  with  their 


46  MATERXAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

relation  to  the  phenomena  which  were  supposed  to  have  pro- 
duced the  facts.  Personal  experience  as  a  factor  in  the  eluci- 
dation of  the  cause  of  varieties  seems  to  have  been  over- 
looked, or  is  not  comprehended  by  scientific  writers,  and  they 
have  been  unable  to  fathom  the  subject.  In  this  work  the 
subject  has  been  treated  in  a  simple  manner,  to  enable  any 
person  who  could  not  grasp  the  ideas  as  expounded  by  pro- 
found scholars,  to  arise  from  the  study  of  the  subject  as  here 
presented,  with  a  feeling  that  some  knowledge  had  been 
gained  by  its  perusal. 

To  those  who  intend  taking  a  scientific  course  in  biology 
it  will  be  of  value,  because  of  the  many  ideas  given  here, 
which  will  enable  the  student  to  begin  a  line  of  investigation. 
It  is  next  to  impossible  to  find  any  starting  point  in  the  works 
of  the  leading  scientists. 

The  reasons  which  led  to  my  conclusions  are  given,  and 
stated  so  plainly,  that  any  person  having  the  ability  to  solve 
a  simple  problem  cannot  be  misled.  Its  study  will  enable 
them  to  solve  other  problems  which  may  be  observed.  New 
facts  will  be  found,  that  are  within  the  grasp  of  the  average 
mentality.  By  new  facts,  is  meant,  new  to  the  masses,  and 
many  of  them  new  in  the  sense  that  scientists  have  either 
failed  to  recognize  them,  or  have  overlooked  them  entirely. 

The  critic  who  denies  the  premise  and  conclusions  at 
which  I  have  arrived  in  this  work,  should  in  answer  show 
that  bodily  defects,  such  as  birth  marks  which  are  visible, 
are  the  product  of  a  common  natural  cause,  over  which  the 
mother  has  no  control ;  then  show  why  each  case  of  birth 
mark  is  different  from  every  other  case;  that  is  to  say,  no 
two  persons  were  ever  found  who  were  born  defective,  and 
were  alike  in  their  deformity;  also  show  why  they  .were 
different. 

It  is  hoped  that  the  study  of  this  work  will  be  a  benefit 
to  the  coming  generation  of  fathers  and  mothers,  and  thus 
assist  in  uplifting  humanity  by  putting  it  upon  a  higher 
plane  of  mentality. 


VARIOUS  THEORIES.  47 


CHAPTER  III. 

A   SUPERFICIAL   GLANCE   AT   VARIOUS   SCIENTIFIC   THEORIES. 

"That  sur-h  verbal  hocus-pocus  should  be  received  as  science,  will  one  day  be 
regarded  as  evidence  of  the  low  state  of  intelligence  in  the  nineteenth  century." 

In  the  study  of  the  organic  part  of  man  and  animals,  man's 
mentality  should  be  included.  So  far  but  very  little  has  been 
written  in  which  the  mind  of  man  has  been  taken  into  con- 
sideration. One  writer,  Dr.  Romanes,  published  a  volumin- 
ous work,  entitled,  -'The  Mind  of  Man;"  but  it  would  puzzle 
the  wisest  to  find  anything  that  would  lead  to  a  solution  of 
the  cause  of  the  various  mentalities  in  mankind — nothing  can 
be  found  on  that  line.  All  biological  writers  discuss  the 
brain  formation;  the  anatomical  differences  in  the  structure 
of  the  brain  of  man  and  the  lower  species  of  creation  have 
been  thoroughly  elaborated.  Scientists  have  heaped  up  great 
stores  of  facts  and  collected  data ;  piled  up  documents  by  the 
score,  then  shoveled  them  together  in  thick  volumes,  prefaced 
by  many  pages  of  bibliography,  interspersed  with  a  mass  of 
verbiage,  and  each  paragraph  floating  upon  a  stream  of  notes. 
Often  the  notes  are  in  a  dead  language,  or  in  some  foreign 
tongue  which  the  reader  does  not  understand.  This  wearies 
the  student  and  has  a  tendency  to  make  him  tired  of  the 
whole  subject,  when  the  object  should  be,  not  to  see  how  large 
a  book  can  be  made,  but  to  make  a  book  that  will  be  interest- 
ing and  profitable  to  the  one  who  is  studying  the  subject. 
Every  student  of  scientific  literature  has  been  bothered  at 
times  trying  to  find  out  what  the  writer  of  the  book  which  he 


48  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

is  studying  means.  If  he  should  ask  the  author,  "What  did 
you  mean  when  you  wrote  that  sentence,  paragraph,  or  page?" 
The  answer  would  be,  in  many  cases,  "When  I  wrote  that, 
there  were  two  who  knew  all  about  it,  God  and  I ;  now  God 
alone  knows."  The  reader  is  bewildered,  and  the  student's 
time  and  energy  is  wasted  to  find  out  what  God  alone  knows. 

Marie  Correlli,  in  "Ardath,"  says:  "To  my  mind,  science 
somewhat  resembles  a  straight  line,  drawn  clear  across  the 
country,  but  leading,  alas!  to  an  ocean  wherein  all  land-marks 
are  lost  and  swallowed  up  in  blankness!  Over  and  over  again, 
the  human  race  has  trodden  the  same  pathway  of  research; 
over  and  over  again,  has  it  stood  bewildered  and  baffled  on 
the  shores  of  the  same  vast  sea.  The  most  marvelous  discov- 
eries are,  after  all,  mere  child's  play,  compared  to  the  tre- 
mendous secrets  that  must  forever  remain  concealed.  We  die 
in  almost  as  much  ignorance  as  we  were  born." 

Investigators  who  are  presumed  to  be  authority  upon 
man's  antecedents,  have  been  compelled  to  invent  theories 
and  to  assume  an  hypothesis  in  which  the  theories  are  con- 
tradictory. Is  the  statement  warranted,  when  it  is  said  that 
Darwin's  "Gemmules"  and  his  "Multicellar  Organisms," 
Spencer's  "Physiological  Units,"  Weismann's  "Germ  Plasms," 
with  his  "Ids"  and  "Idants,"  his  "Chromozones"  and  "Chro- 
matic Granules,"  and  Haeckel's  "Plastitudes,"  all  belong  to 
the  realm  of  the  anatomist,  and  are  of  slight  value  in  the 
study  of  the  cause  of  the  mental  peculiarities  of  mankind. 
No  rational  theory  has  been  formulated  that  will  stand  the 
test  of  logical  investigation. 

Dr.  Strahan  says:  "Unfortunately  for  science,  Darwin's 
theory  of  "Gemmules"  is  but  a  theory;  of  these  potent  gem- 
mules  there  is  absolutely  nothing  known — it  is  not  even 
proven  that  they  exist.  It  is  the  ingenious  effort  of  a  great 
mind  to  fathom  what  at  present  seems  to  be  unfathomable." 
Darwin's  "Natural  Selection"  is  by  far  the  most  plausible 
argument,  as  to  the  cause  of  the  physical  variation  in  animal 
organisms. 


VARIOUS  THEORIES.  49 


It  may  be  charged  that  the  theory  of  maternal  impression 
is  also  an  invention.  Not  so!  As  it  has  been  known  for  a  long 
time  that  the  mother's  mentality  can  and  does  disarrange 
particles  of  flesh  and  blood,  which  are  known  as  birth-marks. 
It  is  as  indisputable  as  the  laws  of  gravitation. 

Referring  to  Natural  Selection,  that  theory  depends  upon: 
Firsf,  that  the  strongest  and  handsomest  males  are  selected; 
second,  that  the  females  in  birds,  fishes  and  animals,  as  well 
as  in  mankind,  have  the  power  to  discern  color,  strength, 
beauty  and  voice,  which  enables  them  to  choose  the  proper 
male  to  produce  a  higher  and  better  species.  Natural  selec- 
tion implies,  that  back  of  all  other  laws  which  govern  repro- 
duction, is  a  fundamental  principle  which  is  guiding  the 
whole,  and  the  ultimate  object  is  the  production  of  a  superior 
race.  The  conclusions  drawn  from  Prof.  Darwin's  argument 
must  be,  that  it  is  all  done  by  a  conscious  guiding  hand,  and 
the  result,  Evolution. 

But  what  becomes  of  Mr.  Darwin's  other  theory,  that 
nature,  if  left  to  itself,  reverts  to  its  original  type,  viz:  '"Re- 
version to  Type."  In  Natural  Selection,  Prof.  Darwin  says: 
"When  males  are  provided  with  weapons  which  females  do 
not  possess,  they  are  for  fighting  with  other  males  of  the 
same  species,  and  these  weapons  are  acquired  through  natural 
selection."  He  also  says:  "Undoubtedly  the  first  spike-horn 
buck  was  an  accidental  freak  of  nature ;  they  are  crowding  the 
antlered  buck  out  of  the  habitat."  We  stop  to  inquire,  Does 
nature  do  anything  accidentally? 

Mr.  Herbert  Spencer,  speaking  of  the  Irish  and  German 
immigrants,  whose  progeny  rapidly  assume  the  prevailing 
type,  says:  "That  spontaneous  variation,  increased  by  natural 
selection,  can  have  produced  this  effect,  is  going  too  far. 
....  There  is  no  escaping  the  conclusion,  that  physical 
and  social  conditions  have  modified  function  and  structure." 
(See  case  of  the  Italian  family,  which,  out  of  ten  children,  had 
eight  who  looked  like  Germans. ) 

In  Mr.  Spencer's  argument  is  an  admission  that  the  en- 


50  MATERXAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

vironment  of  the  mother  has  affected  the  structure  of  her  off- 
spring. If  this  is  denied,  then  the  theory  of  evolution  re- 
ceives a  back-set. 

In  Mr.  Spencer's  theory  of  Physiological  Units,  he  consid- 
ers, "That  the  whole  organism  is  composed  of  these  units, 
alike  in  kind,  and  that  the  germ-cells  contain  small  groups  of 

them All  these  units  are  capable  of  arranging 

themselves  in  a  variety  of  ways But  it  is  done 

under  the  directing  influence  of  the  whole.  The  units  are 
forced  to  arrange  themselves  in  just  such  a  way  as  is  neces- 
sary for  the  perfection  of  the  whole."  (What  is  it  that  di- 
rects them  when  there  is  a  monstrosity,  and  it  is  not  a  perfect 
whole?)  Mr.  Spencer  also  s«ys:  "It  seems  difficult  to  believe 
that  this  can  be  so,  but  we  know  it  is  so It  is  in- 
sufficient to  interpret  heredity But  it  has  the 

merit  of  having  utilized  the  smallest  particle  of  the  organ- 
ism." 

This  is  scientific  biology  with  a  vengeance,  and  reminds 
one  of  the  carpenter,  who,  in  building  a  house,  hit  upon  the 
plan  of  filling  the  spaces  between  the  joists  with  the  sawdust 
and  chips,  and  was  elated  over  the  idea  that  he  had  not 
wasted  any  material ;  he  had  found  a  place  for  it  all. 

It  is  noticeable  in  Mr.  Spencer's  writings,  as  well  as  in 
many  others,  that  the  evidence  which  he  produces  is  always 
from  some  one  else,  arid  the  inference  is  that  he  has  not  made 
any  personal  investigations.  Prof.  "Weismann  is  considered 
by  a  very  few  an  authority  upon  hereditary  transmission. 
His  conclusions  are:  First — The  immortality  of  unicellar 
organisms  and  reproductive  cells  of  multicellar  organisms.  . 
.  .  .  Second — The  theory  of  the  germ-plasm  continuity  is 
based  upon  the  transferring  of  a  substance  from  one  genera- 
tion to  another,  which  contains  a  chemical,  and  above  all 

molecular  constitution  called  germ-plasm Third 

— All  parts  of  the  organism  are  determined  from  the  germ 

onwards Fourth — The  individual  is  determined, 

at  the  time  of  fertilization.  .  .  .  .  .  Fifth — That  degener- 


VARIOUS  THEORIES.  51 


ation  of  all  kinds  and  degrees,  depend  upon  the  complicated 

structure  of  the  germ-plasm And,  That  heredity 

depends  upon  the  presence  of  this  definite  substance,  germ- 
plasm."  In  the  introduction  to  the  germ-plasm  theory,  Prof. 
Weismann  says:  "This  Germ-Plasm,  or  'IdV  can  never  be 
formed  anew;  it  can  only  grow,  multiply,  and  be  transmitted 
from  one  generation  to  another I  doubt  the  the- 
ory of  transmission  of  variations  acquired  by  the  body,  and 
that  it  does  not  occur." 

Then  what  becomes  of  the  evolution  theory?  It  looks  as 
though  the  average  scientist  does  not  consider  whether  the 
assumption  of  his  theory  is  possible,  logically.  He  sees  that 
a  certain  hypothesis  is  positively  necessary  to  complete  his 
theory,  and  formulates  a  scheme,  without  regard  to  any  facts 
upon  which  to  base  it.  Prof.  Weismann  produces  no  facts 
upon  which  to  base  his  theory  of  the  immortality  of  the  Germ 
Plasm,  or  that  they  are  never  renewed;  they  can  only  grow 
and  multiply.  The  conclusions  of  Mr.  "Weismann  are  based 
upon  insufficient  evidence;  in  fact,  there  is  no  evidence  at  all, 
he  merely  assumes.  I  have  not  found  a  student  of  Weismann 
who  understands  his  theories.  If  one  formulates  a  premise 
to  suit  his  own  ideas,  the  conclusions  will  be  apt  to  agree  with 
some  preconceived  notions,  which  may  be  uppermost  in  his 
mind  at  the  time. 

To  illustrate:  A  child  is  born  with  a  club-foot.  The 
father  is  a  believer  in  Weismann's  theory  of  "Ids"  and 
"Idants."  He  makes  his  own  premise,  which  is:  That  some 
unknown  ancestor,  whom  he  has  never  seen  or  heard  of,  must 
have  had  a  club-foot ;  if  not,  where  did  the  ids  which  formed 
the  club-foot  of  his  child  come  from  ?  and  which  his  author- 
ity, Weismann,  asserts  are  immortal  and  never  change;  they 
grow  and  multiply.  As  no  other  cause  is  found,  the  con- 
clusion is,  atavism  and  heredity  is  the  cause  of  the  club-foot 
in  his  child. 

The  idea  that  the  first  malformation  of  any  kind,  when  it 
appeared,  could  not  have  been  in  existence  previously,  does  not 


52  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

occur  to  this,  "VVeismannist.  But  the  answer  comes,  yes!  those 
"ids"  were  in  existence  from  the  dawn  of  mankind.  That 
answer  rests  upon  supernatural  causes,  which  have  no  standing 
in  science,  and  are  not  debatable.  Such  a  concluson  is  based 
upon  a  premise  formed  upon  a  theory  which  is  unexplainable; 
grounded  in  mysticism;  it  is  literally  valueless  to  mankind,  as 
it  does  nothing  toward  elevating  the  race;  takes  up  the 
time  that  could  be  devoted  to  something  useful,  and  places 
the  blame  for  all  imperfections  upon  the  Creator  of  the  uni- 
verse. The  question  that  should  occupy  the  mind  of  the  stu- 
dent of  science  is,  What  can  I  learn  out  of  the  book  of  nature 
to  assist  me  in  making  the  world  wiser  and  better?  What 
can  be  done  for  posterity,  is  of  more  value  than  what  ancestry 
has  done  for  the  world.  The  terms  evolution,  environment, 
natural  selection,  heredity,  atavism,  and  a  host  of  others,  are 
current,  their  significance  doubtful,  all  interpretation  of  fact 
contains  a  modicum  of  truth  as  well  as  errors.  Jordan  says, 
"Evolution  needs  a  special  definition  every  time  it  is  used." 
The  term  environment,  as  used  by  the  biologist,  has  a  definite 
meaning,  and  is  limited,  but  to  the  general  reader  it  has  a 
fuller,  broader  meaning;  it  includes  the  mental  and  moral 
nature,  as  well  as  the  surroundings  of  the  individual.  The 
term  atavism  is  of  doubtful  utility.  The  theory  is  based 
upon  say-so:  what  somebody  said,  as  for  instance,  "I  heard 
my  father  say,  that  his  grandfather  was,  or  did,  thus  and  so." 
Not  a  particle  of  evidence  can  be  produced  in  its  support,  and 
the  atavistic  conclusion  is  based  upon  insufficint  evidence. 
As  no  satisfactory  answer  could  be  given,  the  word  Atavism 
was  coined.  As  has  been  remarked,  "It  is  often  used  to  cover 
up  ignorance  of  all  previous  conditions." 


HEREDITY.  53 


CHAPTER  IV. 

HEREDITY. 
"Heredity  is  the  stamp  of  blood  relationship." 

There  are  three  factors  that  form  the  characteristics  which 
are  found  in  all  human  beings.  First — Heredity,  which 
controls  the  organism.  Second — Environment,  which  is  in 
its  essence,  education ;  it  governs  and  moulds  heredity's  twin 
sister.  Maternal  impression,  that  constitutes  the  third  factor. 

In  the  study  of  the  cause  of  mental  variation  in  man,  it 
will  be  neccessary  to  include  heredity,  and  there  must  be  a 
clear  understanding  as  to  the  term,  or  what  is  meant  by  he- 
redity. So  far,  there  is  no  positive  conclusion  in  regard  to 
it,  and  we  produce  in  evidence  a  few  ideas  of  leading  scien- 
tists upon  the  subject,  including  atavism,  as  it  is  understood. 

"The  heredity  theory  of  the  future  must  rest  upon  a  far 
more  exact  knowledge  than  we  enjoy  at  present." — Prof. 
Osborn. 

"Any  attempt  to  work  out  a  theory  of  heredity  in  detail 
may  appear  premature  and  almost  presumptuous." — Prof. 
Weismann. 

"In  Abnormal  Man,"  by  the  United  States  Bureau  of 
Education,  is  found  some  reference  to  heredity;  it  says: 
Heredity  is  often  a  name  to  cover  up  ignorance  of  all  early 
conditions," ....  and,  "Heredity  is  an  overworked  jade,  too 
often  driven  in  double  harness  with  a  hobby." 

The  term  heredity  is  used  to  apply  to  all  living  creatures, 


54  MATERXAL  IMPRESSION. 

but  in  this  work  it  will  be  restricted  to  and  refer  to  mankind 
only,  as  man  is  the  subject  of  discussion;  the  term  biology,  if 
used,  will  also  be  in  the  same  restricted  sense. 

In  the  various  works  upon  heredity,  all  living  organisms 
can  be  studied,  from  the  atom  or  protoplasm,  up  to  man. 
In  none  of  them  is  there  any  careful  study  of  man's  mentality, 
which  is  a  factor  and  should  be  considered  in  the  investiga- 
tion of  hereditary  transmission.  Scientists  have  been  look- 
ing solely  at  the  organic  or  physical  nature  of  man  as  it  is 
included  in  all  creatures,  and  they  have  given  a  reason  for 
the  varieties  in  man's  acquired  character,  by  charging  it  to 
some  long-forgotten  predecessor,  and  called  it  Atavism. 

Heredity  is  defined  as  the  law  of  "Like  producing  Like;" 
when  analyzed  it  is  found  that  it  is  not  a  law,  it  is  the  result 
of  some  law.  The  law,  so-called,  is  the  cause ;  heredity  the 
effect.  This  may  seem  to  some  hypercritical,  but  it  is  a  cor- 
rect statement.  The  term  is  used  here  in  its  common 
acceptation.  By  virtue  of  that  law,  the  conjunction  of  a  male 
and  female  of  the  same  species  will  produce  another  being, 
having  like  form  and  quality,  who  will  be  able  to  do  its  part 
in  the  further  propagation  of  the  species,  and  its  progress  to 
a  higher  standard  is  called  Evolution.  "In  what  passes  for 
the  doctrine  of  evolution  there  is  a  mixture  of  science  and 
speculation,  yet  it  is  customary  to  serve  it  all  up  together,  so 
that  hungry  souls  must  needs  take  all  or  none." 

Extravagant  evolutionism  has  gone  on  from  the  physical 
theory  of  life  to  pose  as  a  metaphysical  theory,  and  is  thus 
commented  upon  by  the  editor  of  The  New  York  Observer 
(Presbyterian),  who  calls  it  Encyclopedic  Evolutionism: 
"The  idea  is  extended  to  human  customs,  morals  and  man- 
ners, to  literature  in  general,  to  religion  itself,  to  the  growth 
of  states  and  social  sovereignties.  Everything  in  this  view 
has  grown  from  something  that  was  lesser  than  it.  .... 

All  this  is  evolution  gone  clean  daft It  tickles  the 

fancy  of  a  Spencer  to  reduce  everything  to  one  philosophic 
principle All  morals,  all  manners,  all  doxies,  laid 


HEREDITY.  55 


upon  the  bed  of  evolutionary  theory,  to  be  dropped  off  or 
drawn  out  to  fit  the  demand." 

Before  air  attempt  is  made  to  investigate  maternal  im- 
pressions, it  will  be  necessary  to  examine  the  question  of 
heredity  and  its  kindred  subject,  atavism,  as  it  is  presented 
by  its  advocates,  and,  if  possible,  clear  away  the  cloud  that 
will  obscure  the  mental  vision  of  those  who  are  looking  to 
scientists  in  vain  for  any  positive  evidence  in  regard  to  the 
influence  of  heredity  or  atavism  upon  the  mental  character- 
istics of  mankind.  In  its  study,  do  not  accept  the  simple 
assertion  of  any  man,  solely  because  other  men  look  upon  him 
as  authority,  particularly  when  it  is  admitted  that  the  facts 
are  unknowable.  "Scientific  thought  is  at  times  very  one- 
sided." To  illustrate:  Aristotle  taught  that  the  breath  of 
man  entered  the  heart;  that  the  back  of  the  head  was  empty; 
that  he  had  but  eight  ribs.  Like  some  modern  philosophers, 
he  was  wrong  in  his  conclusions.  In  the  study  of  heredity, 
one  is  compelled  to  admit  that  there  is  nothing  upon  which 
to  base  any  conclusions.  Life  and  matter  is  all  that  can  be 
claimed  for  it ;  the  various  combinations  cannot  be  attributed 
to  it,  and  the  problem  of  the  improvement  of  the  race  cannot 
be  solved  upon  the  theory  of  heredity,  as  that  theory  holds, 
that  the  progeny  must  be  like  one  or  the  other  of  its  parents. 

Scientists  say  there  are  causes  at  work  with  heredity, 
which  are  to  them  unknown.  They  give  no  clue,  nor  do  they 
hint  at  any  idea  from  which  the  student  can  begin  to  investi- 
gate. Sedgwick,  in  trying  to  find  a  good  reason  for  the  ex- 
ceptions in  heredity,  said:  "In  the  case  of  two  deaf  mutes, 
who  produced  normal  children  (mark  the  logic),  heredity 
acquired  such  a  power  that  it  destroyed  itself."  This  we 
should  call  pure  guess  work ;  it  is  far  from  being  scientific. 
Virey  says:  "Moral  qualities  of  the  body  are  transmissible 
through  heredity,  but  the  moral  qualities  of  the  soul  are  not." 
This  seems  to  be  a  vague  proposition,  and  can  only  be  char- 
acterized as  pure  assumption.  Buckle  says:  "We  often  hear 
of  heredita-ry  talents,  hereditary  vices  and  hereditary  virtues, 


56  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

but  whoever  will  critically  examine  the  evidence,  will  find  no 
proof  of  their  existence." 

It  is  said  that  heat  and  cold,  as  well  as  food,  seems  to 
change  the  physical  characteristics  of  certain  animals,  and 
the  element  of  time  is  of  great  importance  in  heredity,  which 
is  said  to  be  governed  or  changed  by  physical  and  climatic 
circumstances  surrounding  the  race.  These  factors  produce 
a  mental  twist,  influenced  by  habits  of  ancestry,  viz:  Their 
taste  and  action,  then  changed  and  swayed  by  their  geograph- 
ical situation,  and  when  the  element  of  time  is  considered, 
the  mental  twist  becomes  fixed;  registered,  as  it  were,  in  the 
brain  structure.  If  the  indentations  and  undulations  made 
by  the  stream  of  time,  passing  through  the  brain  of  centuries 
could  be  traced,  it  would  be  seen  how,  in  this  sense,  heredity 
is  arbitrary.  But  this  view  of  heredity  only  applies  to  races, 
or  nations,  and  not  to  individual  variations. 

In  regard  to  the  mental  variations  in  mankind  the  scien- 
tists are  profoundly  silent.  Why  these  variations,  if  heredity 
be  fixed  and  unalterable?  It  is  to  them  a  mysterious  subject. 
One  says,  "There  must  be  some  transcendental  agency  at 
work  to  counteract  or  change  the  law  of  heredity."  That  is 
a  cheap  and  easy  way  to  become  famous  among  the  many 
superficial  thinkers,  who  lack  the  power  of  discernment. 
When  a  man  takes  the  stand  above  noted,  he  has  become 
"Scientifically  superstitious,"  and  looks  at  dogmas,  systems, 
and  speculations,  as  absolute  truths.  He  cannot  be  working 
upon  any  scientific  basis,  and  the  danger  to  the  student  is, 
that  he  may  accept  as  truth,  unconsciously,  that  which  is 
merely  conjecture,  and  which  is  none  the  less  speculation, 
because  carried  on  by  professed  scientists. 

The  law  which  governs  reproduction,  Prof.  Darwin  calls 
"The  fixed  laws  of  heredity."  He  says  ''Heredity  produces 
an  exact  copy  of  the  parent  in  the  child."  The  next  sentence 
makes  the  statement  ambiguous:  "In  the  child  there  is  never 
a  precise  re-duplication." 

In  his  summary  he  says:     "Many  of  the  views  are  highly 


HEREDITY.  57 


speculative,  and  some  no  doubt  will  prove  erroneous.  Many 
facts  in  hereditary  descent,  are  wholly  inexplicable  by  my 
hypothesis."  A  work  upon  Descent  and  Darwinism,  by  Prof. 
Schmidt,  of  Strasburg,  Germany,  says:  ''Darwin  has  set  up 
a  provisional  hypothesis.  'That  in  every  elementary  portion 
of  organism,  innumerable  gemmules  are  produced  which  are 
hoarded  up,  in  every  ovum,  in  every  sperm  corpuscle,  and 
might  remain  latent  during  hundreds  of  generations,  and  only 
then  exhibit  their  powers  in  reversion.'  "  The  idea  that  a 
peculiar  trait  in  an  individual,  was  lost  or  latent  through 
hundreds  of  generations,  then  reappearing,  and  calling  it  her- 
editary or  atavistic,  is  so  undemonstrable,  that  it  is  surpris- 
ing it  should  be  called  scientific.  "Darwin's  theory,  from  pre- 
senting so  many  vulnerable  points,  is  always  in  jeopardy." 

It  is  said  that  Mr.  Darwin  never  made  any  dogmatic  asser- 
tion, but  what  would  the  following  be  called,  if  asserted  by 
some  other  person?  "Man  is  descended  from  some  less  highly 
organized  form.  The  ground  upon  which  this  conplusion 
rests  will  never  be  shaken" 

Herbert  Spencer  says:  "Heredity  is  assumed 

But,  as  generally  understood,  it  is  universal It  is  not 

universally  admitted  that  peculiarities  are  inherited 

There  is  a  doubt  as  to  whether  heredity  is  transmitted.  .  . 
.  .  A  positive  explanation  is  not  to  be  expected  in  the  pre- 
sent state  of  biology." 

Prof.  Lucas  says:  "Side  by  side  with  heredity  which  main- 
tains types,  we  ought  to  admit  a  special  force  [which  he  does 
not  attempt  to  explain,  he  simply  calls  it]  'Innateness  which 
diversifies  type.'  " 

Dr.  Galton  says:  "There  is  very  little  direct  evidence  of 
the  influence  of  heredity  in  the  course  of  a  single  generation, 
if  the  phrase  'Acquired  Faculties'  is  used  strictly,  the  few 

cases  cannot  be  accepted  as  positive My  own  data  is 

too  lax  to  go  upon The  whole  theory  is  too  uncer- 
tain to  be  accepted  as  fact It  is  excellent  material  for 

mathematical  formula,  ....  But  I  am  unable  to  make  it 


58  MATERIAL  IMPRESSION. 

intelligible  to  the  masses."  Arid  tacitly  admits  that  all  spec- 
ulation in  regard  to  Heredity,  Atavism,  and  Darwin's  Pan- 
gensis,  is  not  a  positive  test,  it  was  no  doubt  not  very  clear  to 
Mr.  Galton  himself.  He  says  further:  "Where  the  mind's 
activity  takes  a  larger  part,  heredity  is  found  to  lose  force  and 
constancy  of  action." 

Papillion  says:  "Cases  of  heredity  can  never  be  anything 
more  than  exceptions,  as  compared  with  the  cases  that  make 

against  it Let  us  believe  in  heredity  in  so  far  as  it 

may  be  the  means  of  improvement,  but  refuse  assent  when 

there  is  claimed  for  it  despotic  power Not  a  single 

one  of  the  following  great  thinkers  in  whose  line,  whether 
ascending  or  descending,  are  their  high  capacities  perpetuated: 
Newton,  Spinoza,  Leibnitz,  Diderot,  Hume,  Kant,  or  Jeoffrey. 

They  had  neither  posterity  or  ancestry By  what  right, 

then,  shall  any  man  set  up  heredity  as  a  general  law  of  devel- 
opment of  intellectual  activity?  Heredity  does  not  exert  an 
exclusive  and  continuous  influence It  is  well  estab- 
lished, that  the  children,  of  geniuses,  are  very  often  very  in- 
ferior men." 

"The  Jukes."  a  book  containing  the  history  of  a  lewd 
woman  in  the  state  of  New  York,  whose  many  descendents, 
were  criminals  and  paupers,  in  discussing  heredity,  says: 
"The  characters  of  Ada  and  Bell,  are  not  reproduced  as  we 
might  expect,  if  heredity  was  the  controlling  influence.  .  . 
.  .  Heredity  does  not  always  pass  on." 

De  Quatrefagas  says:  "It  is  not  resemblances  existing  be- 
tween the  members  of  one  family  that  perplex  the  philoso- 
pher; all  agree  in  referring  them  to  heredity;  ....  the 
problem  lies  in  the  differences,  more  especially  in  the  shades 
which  constitute  the  individual  traits  that  distinguish  father 
from  son,  or  brother  from  brother,"  The  problem  is  to  ac- 
count for  the  diversity  of  character,  without  forgetting  its 
unity  of  origin. 

Romanes  says:  "Other  causes  are  at  work  with  heredity; 
we  do  not  know  what  they  are The  various  species 


HEREDITY.  59 


originated,  we  know  not  how I  assume  the  doctrine 

of  descent,  ....  as  regards  the  whole  of  organic  nature, 
....  with  one  exception,  man,  ....  and  I  assume  even 
in  the  case  of  man,  so  far  as  his  bodily  organization  is  con- 
cerned  It  is  only  in  reference  to  his  mind  that  I  ex- 
cept, and  I  make  this  only  in  deference  to  the  opinion  of 
that  small  minority  of  evolutionists  who  still  maintain,  .  . 
.  .  and  I  accept  the  theory  of  descent  as  to  the  physical 
part  of  man,  -but  they  say  they  have  cogent  evidence  that  it 

fails  to  account  for  his  mental  condition The  process 

of  organic  and  mental  evolution  has  been  continuous  through- 
out the  whole  region  of  life  and  mind,  ....  with  the  one 
exception,  the  mind  of  man."  Linneaus,  Buffin,  Lamark, 
Miller,  Cuvier,  Geoffrey,  Humboldt,  all  arrive  at  the  same 
conclusion:  That  "All  men  belong  to  the  same  species,  and 
that  there  is  but  one  species  of  man." 

Prof .  Le  Conte  says :  "Heredity  is  based  upon  a  funda- 
mental law,  which  seems  infallible,  viz :  Like  begets  Like.  .  . 
.  .  This  law  is  sure It  is  the  first  great  law  of  re- 
production that  the  offspring  tends  to  resemble  its  parent 

more  closely  than  anything  else The  various  species 

originated,  presumably  by  direct  creative  act  of  Deity.  .  . 
.  .  While  it  is  probable,  nay,  almost  certain,  that  all  animals 
had  a  common  origin,  we  cannot  trace  the  great  departments 

of  homology  to  that  common  origin As  to  the  truth 

of  evolution,  concerning  which  there  is  no  difference  of 
opinion  among  thinkers." 

If  Prof.  Le  Conte  means  that  all  thinkers  believe  in  a  law 
of  progress  up  to  a  certain  limit,  he  is  on  safe  and  tenable 
ground.  We  believe  that  the  important  factor  in  the  evolu- 
tion or  development  of  mankind — the  basic  principle  of  varia- 
tion— is  the  state  of  the  mother's  mind  previous  to  the  birth 
of  her  offspring. 

Prof.  Drummond,  in  a  chapter  on  degeneration,  comes  to 
the  conclusion,  That  nature  does  not  progress,  but  is  inclined 
to  a  retrograde  movement,  reversion  to  type.  He  gets  this 


60  MATERXAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

idea  from  Darwin.  There  are  scientists  who  do  not  stop  at 
the  presumed  natural  limit  of  any  species;  they  take  a  low 
order  of  organic  beings  to  prove  the  law  of  evolution,  and 
when  they  reach  the  physically  perfect  human,  some  of  them 

wander  into  the  spiritual,  and  call  it  science A  better 

name  for  it  would  be,  Scholastic  rope  dancing;  Verbal  dust, 
with  no  clear  ideas  from  which  to  draw  conclusions.  "A 
mere  figment  of  the  intellect." 

"To  find  analogies  between  the  processes  of  nature,  and 
the  supposed  future  of  man,  and  present  them  as  a  proof  of 
the  latter,  is  a  trick  packed  with  baneful  results  to  the  mind 
of  man." 

With  intellectual  necromacy,  and  preconceived  transcend- 
ental ideas  they  have  blinded  their  judgment,  which  has  be- 
come formulated,  and  its  inner  meanings  lost.  The  problem 
ever  present  with  the  scientist,  is  in  regard  to  the  origin  of 
man;  and  a  still  deeper  one,  is  to  find  the  origin  of  the  mind 
of  man;  to  find,  as  it  were,  its  protoplasm;  and  after  that  is 
found,  there  comes  a  still  more  difficult  and  unknowable 
problem,  That  of  life  in  the  physical  organism,  and  the  an- 
swer to  one  is  the  answer  to  all.  It  always  must  be:  We  do 
not  know.  A  knowledge  of  the  problem  of  life  is  not  essen- 
tial in  the  development  of  mankind.  It  is  not  a  factor  which 
must  be  discovered  before  man  can  arrive  at  the  high  moral 
and  physical  standard  which  the  Creator  has  undoubtedly 
set  for  him  to  attain.  If  it  were  necessary  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  God  would  have  revealed  it  ere  this.  Man's 
whole  duty  is  to  use  the  means  at  his  command,  and  which 
he  is  conscious  of,  to  enable  him  to  fulfill  his  destiny;  it  is  for 
each  one  to  do  his  share  in  the  elevation  and  improvement  of 
humanity. 

But  to  return  to  the  subject  of  heredity.  If  heredity  is 
such  an  all-powerful  factor,  as  some  scientists  would  have  us 
believe,  and  atavism — traits  from  unknown  ancestors — is  an 
important  adjunct,  it  should  have  made  its  appearance  in 
some  of  the  old  families,  but  its  influence  is  not  recognized 


HEREDITY.  61 


to  any  extent  in  this  day  and  age.  Some  of  the  descendents 
should  return  to  the  simplicity,  and  sturdy  manhood  of  their 
puritan  fathers,  and  reproduce  the  sterling  integrity,  Chris- 
tian fortitude,  and  forbearance  of  their  progenitors.  There 
is  not  a  particle  of  evidence  that  can  be  relied  upon,  in  any 
work  of  all  the  great  thinkers  of  this  age,  which  claims  to 
have  any  proof  as  to  the  validity  of  heredity.  This  is  not  a 
denial  of  heredity,  it  is  only  a  statement  of  the  fact,  That  no 
evidence  can  be  found  in  all  the  voluminous  works  of  the 
leading  scientists,  as  to  the  influence  of  heredity  upon  the 
mind  of  man.  There  are  assumptions  but  no  proofs.  Scien- 
tists, in  discussing  heredity,  ascribe  all  of  the  so-called 
"freaks  of  nature;"  the  likes  and  dislikes;  all  pecularities 
found  in  humanity;  all  the  bad  traits,  as  well  as  the  good 
characters:  all  the  varied  phases  of  mankind,  which  are  not 
found  in  the  parents,  to  some  unknown  cause,  and  they  assert 
that  it  comes  from  some  long-forgotten,  and  utterly  unknown 
progenitor;  some  great-great-great-great-grandfather;  and  the 
term  atavism  is  also  an  excuse  for  ignorance  of  early  condi- 
tions. It  will  not  do  to  flourish  such  vague  generalities,  and 
attempt  to  pass  them  off  as  scientific  explanations.  With 
atavism,  the  scientist  is  groping  in  the  dim  and  shadowy  past, 
where  no  land-mark  or  data  is  preserved,  and  where  no  record 
can  be  found.  As  no  cause  could  be  found,  the  effect  was 
called  atavism,  it  was  the  only  outlet,  and  the  scientist  as- 
sumed what  no  seeker  after  the  truth  should  do,  with  "Hux- 
ley's Guiding  Rule"  ringing  in  his  ears.  When  one  has  at- 
tempted to  prove  atavism,  by  exploring  the  record  of  any 
individual's  fore-fathers,  and  accepts  what  little  grain  of  facts 
which  could  be  found,  he  must  be  groping  in  the  dark,  the 
facts  must  necessarily  be  limited,  because  the  persons  to 
whom  he  looks  for  facts,  are  unable  to  give  any  positive  evi- 
dence. Is  it  possible  for  any  one  to  give  any  proof  which  is 
demonstrable,  as  to  the  cause  of  the  peculiarities  of  his  grand 
or  great-grand  parents,  except  from  hearsay,  which  could  not 
be  relied  upon.  Even  if  the  witness  knew  them  when  living,  it 


62  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

would  be  nothing  more  than  hearsay,  therefore  very  weak  and 
insufficient  evidence.  Although  the  evidence  may,  in  a  gen- 
eral manner  be  correct,  that  is,  a  statement  in  regard  to 
some  mental  or  physical  characteristic,  may  be  accurate,  such 
a  statement  does  not  explain  the  origin  of  the  modification.  It 
only  emphasizes  a  fact.  Ellis,  in  "The  Criminal,"  says:  "I 
doubt  whether  we  can  attribute  criminality  to  atavism ;  it  does 
not  pass  on.  and  when  we  consider  the  facts  of  heredity  and 
atavism,  we  are  no  longer  on  safe  and  simple  ground." 

In  all  biographical  sketches  the  reader  is  treated  to  a  his- 
tory of  the  grandparents  and  other  more  remote  ancestors; 
then  the  parents'  characteristics  are  given  in  detail,  especially 
the  mental  qualities,  and  they  are  subject  to  the  whim  of  the 
compiler.  Next  we  are  called  upon  to  notice  how  accurately 
nature  has  reproduced  certain  traits,  then  the  environment, 
and  the  school,  with  the  teachers,  the  surroundings  of  the 
home  life,  as  well  as  the  religious  atmosphere  which  influ- 
enced the  subject  of  the  sketch.  An  argument  can  be  drawn 
from  these  presumed  facts,  to  prove  atavism.  Scientists  tell 
us  that  heredity,  atavism,  and  environment  are  the  master 
forces  of  the  organic  world.  If,  by  the  term  environment  is 
included  the  senses  and  their  influences  upon  the  individual 
organism,  through  its  mentality,  the  statement  may  be  ac- 
cepted. In  all  articles  upon  environment,  the  inference  is 
that  the  surroundings  of  the  individual  organism  after  birth, 
are  meant,  and  in  no  case  do  they  refer  to  the  influence  of  the 
mother's  mental  condition,  as  modifying  the  structure  of  the 
individual  before  birth.  The  professional  scientist's  argu- 
ment calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  animals,  fishes,  insects, 
in  fact  all  animate  organisms,  change  their  color  according  to 
their  environment,  as,  for  instance,  the  white  of  the  polar 
bear,  the  yellow  of  the  lion,  the  change  in  color  of  fishes. 
Innumerable  cases  can  be  cited  in  its  support.  Such  argu- 
ments would  prove  to  the  superficial  thinker  that  environment 
was  the  controlling  factor.  A  closer  reasoning  will  show  that 
the  organism  must  have  been  conscious  of  the  change,  and  its 


HEREDITY.  63 


environment  acted  upon  its  senses;  it  then  conformed  itself  to 
its  surroundings,  so  that  in  the  last  analysis  it  is  found  that 
the  senses  or  mind  is  the  most  powerful  factor;  if  it  were  not 
conscious  of  its  surroundings  there  could  have  been  no  change 
in  its  nature  or  its  color;  it  would  remain  unaltered  like  the 
pebble  upon  the  sand. 

The  student  must  brush  aside  the  mist  of  doubt  that  will 
encompass  his  mind  upon  these  subjects,  or  he  will  become 
confused  before  he  can  make  a  careful  study  of  maternal  im- 
pressions. The  many  conflicting  statements  of  the  scientists 
should  be  carefully  weighed,  and,  if  faulty,  laid  aside.  Ac- 
cept no  man's  dictum  or  dogmatic  assertion!  Demand  facts! 
If  they  cannot  be  produced,  then  insist  upon  a  logical  theory 
sustained  by  facts  bearing  upon  the  hypothesis.  Not  much 
attention  has  been  paid  by  scientists  to  maternal  impressions 
as  a  factor  in  the  "Origin  of  Species."  Man  has  been  studied 
on  the  line  of  the  evolution  of  the  brain  substance.  The 
mental  characteristics  of  the  mother  should  have  been  investi- 
gated while  she  was  going  through  the  process  of  becoming 
a  mother. 

A  careful  investigation  of  the  various  phenomena  that  can 
be  found  in  all  communities,  and  which  no  thoughtful  ob- 
server can  fail  to  see,  will  remove  much  that  looks  m}7sterious 
to  those  who  have  never  considered  the  overpowering  influ- 
ence that  is  exerted  by  mind  over  matter,  under  the  condi- 
tions which  are  to  be  investigated  in  this  work.  In  regard  to 
the  influence  of  mind  over  the  bodily  functions  and  processes, 
no  psychological  fact  is  better  established  than  the  existence 
of  such  an  influence.  Every  organ  has  its  representative  in 
the  brain,  each  nerve,  with  its  many  fibres,  is  related  to  a 
function — talking,  walking,  laughing  and  crying,  digesting 
or  perspiring — all  are  affected  through  the  brain,  so  that 
mental  influence  is  a  factor  which  must  be  considered,  when 
investigating  any  problem  in  the  cause  of  varieties, 

The  ideas  here  presented  may  be  called  radical,  but  it  is 
advance,  thought  upon  any  line,  which  is  able  to  enlighten  the 


64  MATER XAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

student,  and  if  the  advanced  ideas  are  logical,  the  effect  is  to 
create  a  desire  for  further  investigation.  That  always  leads 
to  a  better  understanding.  Theories  and  facts  are  constantly 
put  to  the  test  of  truth,  and  if  the  facts  and  theories  do  not 
agree,  the  theories  must  go  to  the  wall.  Old  opinions  should 
be  reviewed,  and  those  which  do  not  stand  the  test  of  truth, 
given  up  and  new  ones  accepted.  ''When  a  truth  is  taken  in 
exchange  for  an  error,  a  fact  for  a  falsehood,  there  is  always 
'an  advance." 

The  most  important  question  to  the  student  is  not  whether 
evolution  or  heredity  is  a  fact,  but  how,  and  in  what  manner 
did  the  various  deviations  in  man  occur,  and  what  influence 
do  they  have  upon  his  character.  It  makes  no  difference 
whether  it  is  called  heredity,  or  some  other  term;  whether 
the  transmission  is  direct  or  indirect.  Too  much  time  is 
wasted  in  regard  to  the  terms  or  the  exact  process.  It  is  the 
cause  we  are  after;  that  concerns  mankind  more  than  all  other 
unsolved  problems,  because  it  underlies  man's  entire  char- 
acter, and  its  solution  is  essential  to  the  welfare  and  good 
order  of  society. 


REVERSION  TO  TYPE  AND  NATURAL  SELECTION.          65 


CHAPTER  V. 

REVERSION  TO  TYPE  AND  NATURAL  SELECTION. 

"Hence,  Jacob  studied  all  the  laws, 
To  see  if  he  could  learn  the  cause; 
That  on  the  calves  would  put  the  spots, 
The  rings,  and  stripes,  and  streaks  and  dots.1' 

Before  a  clear  idea  can  be  had  in  regard  to  the  claims 
which  are  advanced  for  the  widely  accepted  theory  of  heredity, 
it  will  be  necessary  to  examine  the  subject  of  "Reversion  to 
Type,"  advanced  by  Prof.  Darwin  and  accepted  by  all  biolo- 
gists. I  have  so  far  found  none  who  oppose  it.  The  reader 
is  invited  to  a  logical  examination  of  the  question. 

The  law  of  reversion  to  type  is,  That  the  appearance  of 
characteristics  which  existed  in  remote  ancestors,  traits  which 
are  of  a  lower  order,  that  are  absent  in  the  immediate  ances- 
tor, are  caused  by  a  law  of  nature,  which  Mr.  Darwin  called 
"Reversion  to  Type,"  and  through  a  series  of  experiments 
gave  the  result  to  the  world.  His  conclusions  briefly  stated, 
are:  That  nature,  if  left  to  itself  with  no  attempt  to  improve 
or  assist  it,  will  revert  to  its  original'  type.  To  demonstrate  it, 
a  lot  of  finely  bred  pigeons  were  placed  upon  a  distant  island, 
after  ten  years  they  were  all  merged  into  the  common  blue 
pigeons.  Presumably  pigeons  were  used  in  the  experiment,  as 
they  do  not  mix  easily;  their  nature  is  monogamatic,  that  is, 
mate  for  life  and  only  one  mate.  A  well  known  writer  says : 
"Reversion  to  type  leads  backward  to  the  cave  dweller,  living 
in  his  cavern,  splitting  the  leg-bones  of  his  victim,  to  extract 
the  marrow  for  his  feast." 


66  MATERXAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

It  is  difficult  to  understand  how  the  law  of  reversion  to 
type  can  be  reconciled  with  the  theory  of  natural  selection, 
which  is  also  an  idea  of  Prof.  Darwin.  The  argument  in 
favor  of  natural  selection  is,  that  nature,  through  a  process  of 
selection,  has  preserved  those  individuals  who  were  superior 
in  physique,  as  well  as  other  attributes,  which  were  evolved 
by  the  process  of  natural  selection — "Survival  of  the  Fittest." 
The  fittest  ones  came  from  a  lower,  up  to  a  higher  and  more 
perfect  species.  That  nature,  through  a  careful  selection  of 
progenitors  evolved  a  superior  race.  This  idea  is  merged 
into  the  term  evolution.  Prof.  Darwin  says:  "Natural  se- 
lection will  never  produce  in  a  being,  any  structure  more  in- 
jurious than  beneficial  to  that  being,  for  natural  selection  acts 
solely  for  the  good  of  each."  Prof.  Paley  says:  "No  organ 
will  be  formed  for  the  purpose  of  causing  pain  to  its  posses- 
sor." Darwin  shows  further,  that  the  natural  instincts  in 
birds  and  animals,  appear  at  the  proper  time  and  overcome 
instincts  which  were  all-powerful  at  another  time.  He  illus- 
trates it  by  citing  the  fact,  that  when  the  time  arrives  for 
birds  to  migrate,  they  are  so  strongly  impelled  that  the 
mother  bird  will  leave  her  brood  to  perish  in  the  nest.  Mr. 
Darwin  accepts  the  migratory  instinct,  as  a  link  in  the  chain 
of  evidence  by  which  to  prove  natural  selection.  He  says  fur- 
ther, "Considered  literally,  natural  selection  is  a  false  term." 
We  contend  that  the  migratory  instinct  simply  asserts  a  self- 
evident  fact,  that  certain  impulses  are  stronger  at  some  times 
than  at  others,  which  is  indisputable,  but  the  question,  arises,  is 
it  sufficient  to  prove  natural  selection?  A  man  always  follows 
the  strongest  impulse;  this  will  at  times  prompt  him  to  do  noble 
acts,  but  in  our  present  social  conditions,  it  frequently  leads 
him  to  gratify  his  selfish  desires  at  the  expense  of  others. 
The  views  of  Prof.  Darwin  may  be  correct,  but  whether  they 
are  or  are  not,  the  one  who  doubts  has  the  right  to  investigate 
the  subject,  and  treating  the  doubter  to  sarcasm  does  not  sat- 
isfy, or  answer  any  question.  The  process  of  evolution,  in  its 
broadest  sense,  has  never  been  proven. 


REVERSION  TO  TYPE  AXD  NATURAL  SELECTION.          67 

"It  is  the  baldest  of  all  philosophies  which  have  sprung  up  in  our  world." 

— Wainwright. 

Sir  Geo.  Mivart  says:  "The  Darwinian  theory  is  untenable, 
upon  Spontaneous  Germination  and  Transmutation  of  Spe- 
cies, ....  hangs  all  the  law  and  the  prophets  of  evolution 
—it  is  a  puerile  hypothesis.  Nor  is  natural  selection  the 
origin  of  species."  * 

Prof.  Tyndall  says :  "Those  who  hold  the  doctrine  of  evo- 
lution are  by  no  means  ignorant  of  the  uncertainty  of  their 
data,  and  they  only  yield  a  provisional  assent." 

Wallace's  argument,  as  to  the  underrated  powers  of  natural 
selection,  is  too  obtuse  to  admit  of  producing  in  this  work. 
How  the  law  of  reversion  to  type  can  be  reconciled  with  the 
theory  of  natural  selection  is  not  clear.  For  the  present  the 
question  of  reversion  to  type,  will  be  considered,  and  its  rela- 
tion to  man's  moral  nature.  Does  man  display  in  any  of  his 
attributes,  reversion  to  type,  that  is,  to  savage  nature,  and  if 
so,  why  does  the  law  of  progression,  natural  selection  or  evo- 
lution, fail  in  mankind? 

It  is  claimed  by  evolutionists  that  the  law  of  progress  is 
infallible  in  all  other  organized  matter.  Is  man  reverting  to 
type  because  he  is  igiiorantly  or  unconsciously  disobeying  the 
laws  which  govern  all  animate  nature,  thus  assisting,  as  it 
were,  the  law  of  reversion  to  type,  and  becoming  degenerate? 
If  this  is  answered  in  the  affirmative,  the  question  arises, 
Why  does  nature  assist  animals  to  progress,  presuming  Prof. 
Darwin's  theory  of  natural  selection  to  be  correct,  and  does 
not  assist  mankind?  The  argument  needs  bracing  up  on  this 
point. 

That  all  mankind  is  subject  to  the  law  of  reversion  to  type, 
there  can  be  no  doubt.  Unless  man  labors  for  that  which  is 
best  and  noblest  in  him,  with  an  intelligent  conception  of 
God's  law  and  an  earnest  desire  to  do  His  will  by  living  up 
to  the  requirement  of  the  fundamental  laws  of  creation,  he 
will  eventually  revert  to  the  barbaric  type  of  his  remote 
ancestors.  How  can  mankind  counteract  or  overcome  the 


68  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

law  of  reversion  to  type?  We  answer,  by  the  study  of,  and 
the  intelligent  comprehension  of  another  more  powerful 
natural  law,  which  governs  reproduction,  and  through  which 
all  human  nature  can  be  improved,  viz:  Maternal  Impressions. 

The  effect  of  the  natural  law  of  progress  upon  humankind 
is  perceptible  in  its  rise  from  barbarism,  and  in  its  advance- 
ment from  period  to  period,  until  what  is  called  a  higher 
civilization  has  taught  the  mothers  how  to  interfere  with  that 
natural  law,  and  at  the  same  time,  civilization  has  neglected 
to  teach  the  danger  of  such  interference,  which  assists  the 
other  universal  law,  reversion  to  type.  Civilization  has  also 
failed  to  teach  that  such  interference  is  immoral — immoral 
because  it  is  contrary  to  the  divine  law,  "Be  fruitful  and 
multiply."  That  is  just  what  the  majority  do  not  wish  to  do 
— multiply — so  tha^t  the  race  of  man  has  only  in  part  reached 
the  high  standard  which  it  could  occupy.  We  say  in  part, 
for  it  is  fair  to  presume  that  all  men  could  have  attained  the 
highest  standard,  through  a  knowledge  of  God's  law  of  pro- 
gress. This  is  shown  in  the  improvement  of  our  domestic 
animals,  by  a  knowledge  of  results  and  an  intelligent  con- 
ception of  the  cause.  The  stock  breeder  has  overcome  the 
law  of  reversion  to  type  to  a  great  extent  in  applying  another 
natural  law,  in  the  selection  of  sound  progenitors,  and  through 
his  efforts,  working  in  harmony  with  the  law  of  progress  gov- 
erning such  cases,  he  has  been  able  to  evolve  a  higher  order 
of  animal.  A  man  may  be  entirely  ignorant  and  unconscious 
of  the  law  of  reversion  to  type,  or  evolution,  but  he  makes 
the  best  use  he  can  of  the  knowledge  he  has  acquired,  through 
which  he  is  able  to  evolve  a  more  perfect  animal.  His  tech. 
nical  ignorance  of  natural  law  does  not  prevent  its  fulfill- 
ment ;  as  he  has  assisted  nature,  the  result  is  improved  stock. 

All  efforts  which  are  put  forth  by  the  many  educators,  and 
the  endeavors  which  society  is  instinctively  making,  individ- 
ually and  collectively,  to  elevate  the  morals  of  its  citizens,  are 
based  upon  that  natural  law  of  progress.  It  is  also  seen  in 
the  attempt  to  overcome  the  law  of  reversion  to  type,  by 


REVERSION  TO  TYPE  AND  NATURAL  SELECTION.          69 

sequestering  that  class  who  are  injurious  to  the  good  order  of 
society;  and  the  question  has  been  argued  at  various  prison 
congresses  and  by  criminologists,  whether  it  would  not  be  ad- 
visable to  hold  in  subjection  all  such  as  are  born  criminals, 
and  through  such  sequestration  prevent  the  reproduction 
of  any  more  of  those  who  are  predisposed  to  crime.  If  crim- 
inals were  only  produced  by  criminals,  and  imbeciles  by  the 
insane,  it  might  be  a  wise  measure.  But  the  fact  is,  that 
many  good  parents — in  the  sense  that  they  are  morally  and 
physically  good — bring  forth  children  who  are  criminal  and 
imbecile,  which  proves  that  the  inciting  cause  of  the  birth  of 
congenital  criminals  is  not  attributable  to  heredity,  and  some 
other  factor  must  be  found  before  a  complete  remedy  for  the 
eradication  of  degeneracy  will  be  effective.  Judging  by  the 
present  outlook,  with  the  crowded  condition  of  the  prisons 
and  asylums,  all  efforts  in  behalf  of  good  morals  are  lacking 
in  a  complete  knowledge  necessary  to  enable  mankind  to 
counteract  the  law  of  reversion  to  type.  That  such  knowl- 
edge is  lacking  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  the  masses  are  not 
advancing  to  a  higher  plane  of  mental  and  moral  vigor,  on 
the  contrary,  are  degenerating.  This  is  proven  by  the  great 
increase  of  crime  and  immorality,  and  in  the  accessions  to  the 
ranks  of  mental  deformities,  the  insane,  the  imbecile,  and  the 
epileptic. 

It  is  held  by  a  very  few  scientists  that  there  is  a  natural 
law  governing  or  limiting  the  physical  progress  of  all  organic 
matter;  that  so  far  as  man  is  concerned,  he  rises  to  a  certain 
physical  and  mental  standard,  then  begins  to  decline,  and  is 
at  last  absorbed  by  mother  earth. 

This  theory  of  man's  return  to  barbarism  rests  upon 
the  above  analogy,  and  is  not  supported  by  any  logical  evi- 
dence and  therefore  not  fully  accepted ;  it  only  adds  a  little 
to  the  argument  in  favor  of  reversion  to  type.  The  reason 
for  the  mental  and  moral  delinquencies,  which  are  so  preva- 
lent, is  undoubtedly  caused  by  malformation  of  the  brain 
structure.  "A  marked  departure,  in  one  form  or  another, 


70  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

from  a  normal  brain  structure  is  found  in  most  all  criminals." 
This  question  is  discussed  at  length  under  criminality. 

That  mind  does  influence  matter  under  certain  conditions, 
there  is  abundant  evidence,  and  by  a  comprehensive  study  of 
this  fact,  using  it  as  a  key,  we  may  be  able  to  unlock  the 
secret  of  nature;  thus  work  in  harmony  with  the  law  of 
God,  and  be  enabled  to  counteract  the  law  of  reversion 
to  type. 

The  question  has  been  asked:  "Will  our  present  system  of 
education  ultimately  bring  the  race  to  ruin  if  not  supple- 
mented by  the  education  of  the  masses,  in  regard  to  the  laws 
which  govern  reproduction?"  To  which  we  answer,  yes!  It  is 
as  inevitable,  as  that  animal  or  plant  life  which  is  not  assisted 
in  its  development,  by  proper  nourishment,  or  by  what  some 
call  natural  selection,  which  is  only  an  unconscious  action 
that  is  in  harmony  with  natural  law,  must,  in  that  case,  be- 
come subject  to  the  other  natural  law,  reversion  to  type. 

But  what  has  the  mind  of  one  human  being  to  do  with 
the  formation  of  the  brain  structure  of  another  human  being? 
Does  it,  or  can  it  in  any  manner,  change  the  white  or  gray 
matter,  or  the  fibres  of  the  brain,  and  does  it  increase  or  de- 
crease its  capacity?  If  the  character  of  a  man  is  controlled 
by  the  quality  of  the  brain  substance,  and  by  the  shape  of 
the  brain,  which  is  conceded  by  the  very  best  authority,  and 
accepted  by  all  anatomists,  can  its  structure,  or  its  quality  be 
changed  after  birth?  It  is  said  by  eminent  authority  that 
the  human  brain  does  riot  grow  in  weight  after  the  eighth 
year;  it  is  then  as  heavy  as  it  ever  will  be.  After  that  it  ex- 
pands, and  as  its  possessor  becomes  more  intellectual,  there 
is  an  increased  amount  of  gray  matter  deposited.  All  envi- 
ronment simply  expands  or  contracts  the  brain  cells  of  an 
individual.  After  that  age  no  system  of  education  can  change 
its  structure;  that  is  to  say,  unless  an  individual  has  a  brain 
which  can  comprehend  certain  facts,  no  amount  of  education 
will  alter  it.  It  can  do  no  more  than  improve  or  retard  that 
which  the  individual  has.  YOU  can  only  improve  the  men- 


REVERSION  TO  TYPE  AXD  XATVRAL  SELECTION.          71 

tality  of  the  brain  structure  which  it  has,  not  the  brain  soil 
which  it  has  not,  or  in  which  it  is  deficient.  This  fact  is 
evident.  We  see  one  who  cannot  understand  astronomy  or 
mathematics,  but  is  fond  of  history.  Macauley,  the  historian, 
was  absolutely  incapable  of  learning  mathematics;  so  was 
Sir  William  Hamilton,  the  philosopher.  One  is  a  failure  as 
a  merchant,  but  is  a  good  carpenter  or  blacksmith ;  another 
is  a  good  musician  but  a  poor  bookkeeper,  and  so  on. 

Here  lies  the  whole  question,  which,  briefly  stated,  is: 
How  can  the  brain  structure  be  properly  formed  in  the  ma- 
jority of  mankind?  Upon  its  solution  depends  the  future 
progress  of  the  race. 

The  overpowering  influence  which  the  mental  condition 
of  the  mother  has  upon  the  formation  of  the  body  of  her 
prospective  child  is  well  known.  The  effect  it  has  upon  the 
child's  mentality  is  not  so  well  known.  This  is  the  knowledge 
which  is  necessary  to  enable  a  mother  to  produce  a  perfect 
organism  in  her  offspring.  That  she  does  shape  the  brain 
structure,  and  through  it,  influences  the  character  of  her  chil- 
dren, cannot  be  successfully  controverted. 

The  shape  or  form  of  the  skull  depends  upon  its  contents, 
and  its  effect  upon  the  habits  and  character  of  an  individual 
has  been  thoroughly  studied.  It  is  taught  in  phrenology  and 
physiognomy.  There  is  plenty  of  post-natal  culture  in  the 
home,  kindergartens,  schools  and  colleges,  but  no  attempts 
are  made  to  teach  pre-natal  culture,  except  for  hogs  and  other 
live  stock,  which  is  done  in  agricultural  colleges.  The  most 
ignorant  mother  is  aware  that  so-called  "birth  marks"  are 
produced  by  a  mental  shock  to  the  mother,  but  no  systematic 
efforts  have  ever  been  put  forth  to  teach  this  important  sub- 
ject to  coming  parents.  Nor  ever  before  has  it  been  taught 
how  fo  systematically  overcome  a  scare  or  shock. 

'Tis  true,  there  are  many  voluminous  works  upon  heredity, 
but  they  are  unfathomable.  Maternal  impressions  have  been 
studied,  and  a  few  advanced  thinkers  have  written  upon  the 
subject.  Here  and  there  an  article  has  appeared  in  medical 


MA  TERN  A  L  IMPRESSIONS. 


journals,  but  in  no  case  has  it  been  systematically  investigat- 
ed or  taught.  They  have  reached  conclusions,  without  any 
scientific  basis  from  which  the  subject  could  be  studied, 
therefore  but  little  attention  has  been  paid  to  it.  Medical 
writers  have  given  a  few  facts,  that  is  to  say,  have  compiled  a 
few  cases,  but  no  ground  work  upon  which  one  could  formu- 
late a  logical  premise  has  ever  been  given  by  any  one  of  them. 

The  fact  is  dawning  upon  the  minds  of  some  of  our  edu- 
cators, that  a  powerful  factor  is  at  work  which  is  bearing  fruit 
in  the  propagation  of  men  and  women  who  are  not  good  citi- 
zens, and  that  there  is  something  lacking.  They  do  not 
seem  to  be  aware  of  the  fact  that  nature's  law  of  reversion  to 
type  is  bound  to  do  its  work  upon  the  human  race,  as  well  as 
upon  a  brood  of  fine  pigeons,  unless  it  is  counteracted  by  in- 
telligent action  which  is  in  harmony  with  God's  law  of  pro- 
gress. That  the  product  of  our  present  civilization  is  yield- 
ing a  class  of  citizens  who  are  not  as  virtuous,  nor  as  honest, 
as  they  might  be  for  their  own  good  and  the  welfare  of  society, 
is  apparent  to  all  thinking  men. 

The  subject  of  the  cause  of  the  many  varieties  in  human 
nature  is  a  question  of  great  importance  in  this  connection. 
The  peculiar  traits  of  character,  good  or  bad,  that  are  found 
in  children,  and  no  trace  of  which  can  be  found  in  the  par- 
ents, is  known  as  acquired  character;  at  other  times,  because 
the  scientist  having  no  knowledge  of  previous  conditions, 
he  has  called  it  atavism. 

Herbert  Spencer  says:  "A  right  answer  to  the  question, 
whether  acquired  characters  are  inherited,  underlies  right 
beliefs,  not  only  in  biology  and  physiology,  but  also  in  edu- 
cation, ethics,  and  politics The  question  of  acquired 

character,  being  transmissible,  is  the  most  important  question 
before  the  scientific  world."  [See  Contemporary  Review,  vol. 
66,  page  502.] 

Mr.  Spencer  no  doubt  had  in  mind  the  fact  that  when  the 
subject  of  acquired  character  was  thoroughly  comprehended, 
means  could  be  instituted  which  would  prevent  the  trans- 


REVERSION  TO  TYPE  AND  NATURAL  SELECTION.          73 

mission  of  imperfect  organisms,  and  in  this  manner  a  large 
share  of  the  prevailing  crime  and  physical  deformities  in 
mankind,  would  be  eliminated.  His  writings  have  not  in- 
cluded man's  mentality  to  any  great  extent,  and  what  there 
1s,  is  not  very  clear.  His  works  refer  mainly  to  the  structure 
of  active  organisms;  living,  breathing,  organized  matter. 
Man's  mental  varieties  are  practically  tabooed. 

Scientists  have  not  given  the  subject  of  man's  acquired 
mental  characteristics  the  study  they  should  have.  It  needs 
close  companionship  with  various  types  of  mankind,  and  this 
is  what  the  average  scientist  could  not  do  successfully,  as  his 
student  life  debarred  him  from  that  necessary  acquaintance- 
ship with  many  characters.  The  average  student  relies  large- 
ly upon  text  books.  That  is  to  say,  if  the  subject  cannot  be 
found  in  some  recognized  text  book,  he  declines  to  investigate 
it.  Men  whose  lives  are  wholly  devoted  to  books,  are  not 
well  in  touch  with  the  world  of  fact;  that  is,  with  the  people 
generally.  It  is  different  with  animal  life.  In  that  case  he 
can  confine  the  subject  which  he  is  studying,  and  investigate 
it  to  its  minutest  atom,  without  any  loss  of  the  dignity  with 
which  the  student  is  apt  to  clothe  himself. 

This  does  not  imply  that  no  scientists  have  investigated 
the  varieties  of  man;  but  they  were  studying  other  subjects, 
not  the  mind.  It  is  assumed  that  no  student  of  man's  organ- 
ism could  have  done  so,  for  the  cause  of  mental  varieties 
seems  so  plain  that  it  could  not  have  been  overlooked,  and  if 
a  small  share  of  the  time  and  a  proper  study,  which  has  been 
given  to  physical  organisms,  had  been  alotted  to  the  mental 
characteristics  of  mankind,  the  cause  would  have  been  ap- 
parent. The  student  lives  in  a  circle  of  his  own,  and  the 
world  is  generally  bounded  by  his  mentality.  If  it  be  broad, 
then  he  will  be  broad  in  his  views  and  studies.  One  reason 
why  the  subject  has  been  neglected  is,  because  many  writers 
upon  heredity  and  kindred  questions  say,  "That  man's  mental 
nature  is  unfathomable."  Such  statements,  coming  from  the 
able  men  who  have  written  voluminous  books  upon  the  sub- 


74  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

ject,  have  deterred  humble  investigators,  and  they  have 
neglected  to  study  that  which  they  have  been  told  is  one  of 
the  unknowable  mysteries. 

Maternal  impressions  is  a  powerful  factor  in  its  ability  to 
elevate  or  to  degrade  coming  generations,  and  a  thorough 
education  of  the  race  upon  this  subject  is  necessary.  If 
society  refuses  to  study  the  subject,  then  it  is  bound,  because 
of  man's  organic  composition,  to  degrade  him  through  the 
law  of  reversion  to  type,  as  he  is  but  simply  a  part  of  all 
organic  life  in  creation  and  is  subject  to  the  same  great  law 
as  are  all  other  organisms.  This  must  be  conceded  by  the 
dullest  intellect.  If  mankind  wishes  to  profit  through  the 
best  means  of  elevating  the  race,  it  must  be  in  harmony  with 
a  natural  law  to  attain  that  end  rather  than,  through  ignor- 
ance of  such  a  law,  work  in  harmony  with  its  opposite,  the 
law  of  reversion  to  type. 

Reasoning  from  analogy,  we  see  the  operation  of  two  op- 
posing forces  in  all  nature,  i.  e.,  the  law  of  growth,  and  its 
opposite,  the  law  of  decay.  The  conclusion  must  be,  that  it 
is  man's  duty  to  use  the  power  which  is  given  to  him  to  im- 
prove the  talent  placed  in  his  hands — use  it  to  the  best 
advantage.  As  has  been  remarked,  the  ability  of  society,  as 
it  is  at  present  organized,  to  improve  mankind,  is  counter- 
acted through  ignorance  of  the  fundamental  law  of  reproduc- 
tion, or  at  least  one  phase  of  it,  which  man  should  take 
advantage  of. 

The  law  of  reversion  to  type  exerts  its  power  when  man 
does  not  follow  its  opposite — the  law  of  progress — although, 
ultimately,  reversion  to  type  gets  the  upper  hand  through 
death,  when  man  returns  to  his  original  composition,  earth. 

Society,  through  a  species  of  false  reasoning,  has  refused 
to  look  into  the  question  of  reproduction,  thus  unconsciously 
assisting  the  operation  of  the  law  of  reversion  to  type,  to  the 
detriment  of  its  opposite,  the  law  of  progress — that  is,  has 
assisted  the  law  of  decay  instead  of  the  law  of  growth.  It  is 
as  though  man  had  refused  to  study  the  laws  governing  phys- 


REVERSION  TO  TYPE  AXD  NATURAL  SELECTION.          75 

ical  health,  and  had  gone  on  reproducing  such  as  were 
diseased,  and  thus  shortening  his  days  and  producing  misery. 
Humankind  is  producing  mentally  diseased  persons;  this  is 
plain  to  any  observer  or  student  of  sociology.  The  question 
remains,  Can  individual  and  collective  man  be  permanently 
improved?  We  answer  again,  Yes!  and  this  work  hopes  to 
be  able  to  make  it  clear  to  the  reader. 


76  MATERNAL  L\fPRESSIONS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

TRUTH. 

"Oh !  everlasting  truth, 

The  soul  of  all  that's  true; 
Sure  guide  alike  of  age  and  youth, 
Lead  me  and  teach  me,  too." 

"If  a  word  could  save  me,  and  that  word  were  not  the  truth;  nay,  if  it  did  out 
swerve  a  hair's  breadth  from  the  truth,  I  would  not  say  it."— Longfellow. 

In  the  solution  of  any  problem  it  is  essential  that  the  start 
should  be  made  from  a  correct  premise.  Beware  of  the  ab- 
stract reasoning  and  the  dogmatic  assertion  of  the  metaphysi- 
cian, or  the  scholastic  verbiage  of  the  professional  scientist. 

Science  rests  upon  what  is  proved.  Of  all  matter  it 
assumes  to  know  only  its  elements,  and  they  are  irreducible. 
The  heart  of  science  is  this:  ''To  discern  law  in  the  phe- 
nomena of  nature,  and  to  trace  it  in  all  its  branchings."  The 
biologist  accepts  protoplasm  as  a  definite  fact,  because  he 
says  he  must,  and  from  which  he  formulates  his  premise, 
back  of  which  all  is  mystery.  The  student  of  heredity  cannot 
be  too  well  grounded  as  to  the  facts  upon  which  his  conclu- 
sions are  based,  and  no  heed  should  be  given  to  the  dogmat- 
ism displayed  in  the  remark,  "That  this  or  that  argument 
proves  too  much."  Such  an  opinion,  coming  from  one  who 
is  presumed  to  look  solely  at  the  facts,  shows  that  prejudice 
has  a  stronger  hold  upon  his  mind  than  a  desire  for  the  truth. 
It  seems,  and  it  is  a  dogmatic  statement,  that  a  theory  can  be 
too  strongly  entrenched  in  fact;  that  too  much  proof  can  be 
furnished  to  establish  a  truth.  Facts  of  one  kind  are  not  to 


TRUTH.  77 

be  distrusted  because  they  differ  in  kind  or  quality,  if  they 
lead  to  the  same  conclusion. 

To  find  the  cause  of  mental  varieties,  man  must  be  investi- 
gated. By  taking  his  mentality  as  a  base  of  operation,  it  will 
be  found  that  some  cause  has  been  at  work  to  change  him,  or 
which  produced  a  different  mentality  from  that  of  his  progen- 
itors. His  mind  must  have  been  influenced,  or  there  would 
be  no  change  in  his  nature  differing  from  his  ancestors.  The 
mind  must  be  the  starting  point  for  a  change  of  varieties. 

"There  are  phenomena  concerning  man  which  are  dis- 
cerned by  consciousness  alone,  and  they  must  be  received  as 
real,  whether  they  can  or  cannot  be  explained."  And  from 
these  phenomena  conclusions  can  be  drawn  to  demonstrate 
the  correctness  of  the  premise.  The  phenomena  will,  by 
invariable  repetition,  prove  that  the  premise  is  correct.  If  the 
result  of  the  same  phenomena  is  variable,  it  would  show  that 
some  factor  is  at  work  which  has  not  been  considered;  it  must 
be  found  and  taken  into  account,  or  the  conclusions  will  be 
erroneous.  The  unknown  factor  is  essential  to  a  correct  solu- 
tion of  any  phenomena  that  may  be  under  consideration. 

To  illustrate :  A  student  of  causation  on  the  line  of  hered- 
ity or  maternal  impressions  knows  two  brothers.  One  is 
mean,  ugly,  irritable  and  of  a  pugnacious  disposition — he  will 
fight  at  "the  drop  of  the  hat;"  the  other  is  kind,  gentle  and 
sympathetic.  The  student,  while  investigating  such  a  case, 
will  hear  of  other  ones,  and  if  he  is  a  superficial  thinker  will 
conclude  that,  as  the  factors  are  the  same,  so  far  as  he  knows 
them,  there  is  nothing  in  the  theory  of  maternal  impressions, 
and  that  it  has  no  foundation.  If  such  should  be  his  con- 
clusions, he  has  failed  to  note  an  essential  factor,  which  is 
the  mental  condition  of  the  mother;  that  is,  the  wishes  and 
desires  which  engrossed  her  mind  while  she  was  building  the 
individual  brains  of  these  children.  In  the  former  case  the 
mother  was  cross,  irritable  and  angry  when  she  became  con- 
scious of  her  condition;  and  in  the  latter  case  she  was  recon- 


78  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 


ciled,  and  accepted  the  situation  without  murmur.     ( See  the 
case  of  Mrs.  R.,  of  I.) 

The  average  man  is  apt  to  decide  as  to  the  truth  or  error 
of  a  proposition  before  the  import  of  the  subject  is  fully  com- 
prehended, and  is  not  in  possession  of  sufficient  data,  and 
unconscious  of  the  fact  that  he  has  failed  to  grasp  the  entire 
subject. 

"A  man  that  seeks  precise  truth,  has  need  to  remember  what  every  name 
stands  for,  and  place  it  accordingly,  or  he  will  find  himself  entangled  in  words 
which  will  lead  him  into  absurdities."— Hobhes. 

There  is  such  a  thing  as  intellectual  tyranny.  It  can  be 
seen  in  politics,  where  a  man  indulges  in  sophistries,  and 
refuses  to  examine  facts  for  fear  he  will  find  himself  in  the 
wrong.  The  tyranny  consists  in  shackling  the  brains  and 
refusing  to  allow  freedom  of  thought. 

Much  time  has  been  spent  by  scientists  trying  to  prove 
that  man's  ancestor  was  an  ape,  (at  least,  that  is  the  general 
impression);  that  the  ape  came  from  some  lower  species,  and 
those  from  some  still  lower  kind;  but  very  little  has  been 
done  to  find  out  why  so  many  of  the  race  are  vicious,  sordid 
and  cruel;  why  so  many  criminals,  imbeciles,  and  deformi- 
ties are  produced.  The  intelligent  business  heads  in  the  de- 
partment of  live  stock  have  been  for  years  carefully  investi- 
gating and  learning  how  to  produce  the  healthiest  and  best 
animals,  and  they  will  select  an  animal  as  near  perfect  as  they 
can  get,  mating  it  with  one  that  accords  with  what  they  wish 
to  produce.  In  doing  this,  whether  intentionally  or  not,  a 
fundamental  law  of  nature  is  obeyed;  in  other  words,  mix  the 
proper  ingredients,  and  get  that  which  is  bound  to  be  the 
product — an  improved  class. 

Nature  provides,  step  by  step,  a  lifting  up,  or  elevation  of 
its  creatures,  providing  its  laws  are  obeyed.  But  man,  the 
most  complex  of  all,  with  his  knowledge  of  natural  law  and 
its  results  to  the  animal  species,  allows  his  own  race  to  degen- 
erate, or  improve  haphazard.  Mankind  keeps  on  ignorantly 
propagating  it,  good  or  bad  as  it  happens  to  be,  and  after  the 


TRUTH.  79 

birth  of  the  mentally  lame,  halt,  and  blind,  the  humanitarian 
takes  them  in  hand  and  tries  to  rebuild  the  crooked  and 
warped  brains.  As  well  attempt  to  change  the  shape  of  a 
congenitally  deformed  hand  or  foot  by  a  systematic  course  of 
lectures.  Such  deformed  brains  should  never  have  been 
created,  nor  would  they  have  been  produced  to  the  extent 
they  are,  if  as  much  pains  had  been  taken  to  educate  human- 
ity upon  a  line  for  the  improvement  of  its  brain  structure,  as 
has  been  taken  to  improve  the  breeds  of  horses  and  cattle. 
How  to  improve  the  condition  of  the  indigent  and  criminal 
classes,  is  a  problem  with  which  the  philanthrophy  of  the 
age  is  grappling.  So  far  the  effort  has  not  been  encouraging. 
The  theory,  that  through  righteousness  they  could  be  placed 
upon  a  higher  plane  which  would  put  them  in  a  condition 
where  they  could  work  out  their  own  salvation,  has  not  been 
effective.  The  most  intellectual  slum  workers  are  coming  to 
the  conclusion  that  this  alone  is  not  sufficient.  It  must  be 
supplemented  by  some  other  agency,  something  additional, 
that  will  assist  in  the  work  of  regenerating  the  masses.  The 
latest  we  note,  is,  that  in  New  York  an  exhibition  of  fine 
paintings  has  been  thrown  open  to  the  poor,  expecting  to 
teach  them  the  aasthetic,  and  thus  create  a  love  for  beauty. 
All  this  to  develop  righteousness.  Some  one  has  called  such 
efforts  "Feeding  a  hungry  lion  with  rose  leaves."  All  such 
work,  to  elevate  the  criminal  classes,  must  of  necessity  be  a 
failure  until  the  slum  element  becomes  mentally  able  to  ap- 
preciate art.  The  sight  of  fine  paintings  may,  for  the  mo- 
ment, impress  one  here  and  there,  but  the  general  result  will 
be  of  no  permanent  value. 

SOMETHING  MORE   POTENT   IS   NECESSARY. 

It  will  be  necessary  to  teach  the  coming  mothers  of  the 
land,  the  great  importance  of  keeping  their  minds  in  a  state 
of  moral  health;  that  their  longings  and  desires  must  be 
pure;  that  all  impurity  of  mind  will  be  injurious  to  their 
offspring  as  surely  as  bodily  filth  would  be  injurious  to  the 
physical  being. 


80  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIGXS. 

"Man,  from  the  activity  of  his  mental  faculties,  cannot 
avoid  reflection,  and  past  impressions  and  images  are  inces- 
santly passing  through  his  mind."  And  the  woman  who  is 
sensitive,  and  receptive  to  all  the  various  impressions  which 
have  a  bearing  upon  her,  is  the  one  whose  mentality  affects 
her  offspring  the  most.  The  woman  of  dull  intellect  not  be- 
ing easily  moved,  produces  no  change  in  the  character  of  her 
children ;  there  is  a  sameness  noticeable  in  the  children  of 
such  families.  They  can  be  found  in  the  thinly  settled  por- 
tions of  various  states,  where  the  mother  rarely  leaves  the 
home,  and  especially  at  the  periods  under  discussion.  One 
of  this  class  told  the  writer  that  she  was  born  in,  and  had 
never  been  out  of.  the  county.  Bear  in  mind,  there  is  never 
an  exact  likeness,  but  a  marked  physical  or  facial  resemblance 
is  found,  particularly  where  the  mother  is  of  a  phlegmatic 
temperament.  It  is  noticeable  that  the  more  nervous  and 
excitable  the  mother  is,  the  more  variable  the  children  will  be. 
This  applies  to  all  grades  of  society. 

The  marked  physical  or  facial  resemblance  which  has  been 
noticed  of  the  mother  who  had  never  been  out  of  the  county, 
indicates  a  mental  similarity,  and  shows  that  the  mother  had 
gone  through  a  similar  mental  process  in  each  case.  There 
was  nothing  to  disturb  her.  In  such  a  phenomena  all  the 
factors  were  nearly  alike,  and  the  result  could  not  be  other- 
wise. Nature  would  be  untrue  to  herself.  "Like  produces 
like,"  and  the  effect  must  be  a  similarity.  The  deduction  in 
regard  to  isolated  families  is  not  in  itself  conclusive,  but 
taken  in  connection  with  other  phenomena,  adds  a  link  to 
the  chain  of  evidence  by  which  it  is  shown  that  the  mother's 
mentality  is  the  strongest  factor  in  the  mental  variation  of 
her  children. 


THE  STUDY  OF  MAN. 


81 


CHAPTER   VII. 

THE   STUDY   OF   MAN. 
"  This  is  not  a  chance  world,  but  a  world  of  law." 

In  taking  a  philosophic  view  of  the 
various  homes,  in  hamlet,  town  and  city, 
and  observing  the  mothers  who  are 
bringing  good,  bad  and  indifferent  child- 
ren into  the  world,  and  when  it  is  con- 
templated that  many  of  the  number  will 
be  paupers  and  criminals,  thus  becoming 
a  menace  to  society,  the  question  arises, 
how  can  such  a  state  of  affairs  be 
improved? 

The  answer  to  this  question  is,  through  the  study  of 
maternal  impressions.  This  is  the  point  which  is  to  be  im- 
pressed upon  the  masses  by  this  argument.  Its  solution  is 
the  important  question  and  its  continued  reiteration  is  essen- 
tial. It  is  a  certainty,  that  by  a  proper  education  and  diffu- 
sion of  the  knowledge  of  maternal  impression  and  its  effects, 
the  prospective  mothers  will  be  able  to  reduce  the  number  of 
paupers  and  criminals;  also  the  production  of  physically 
imperfect  human  beings  could  be  largely  averted.  The  pro- 
spective mothers  should  be  instructed  that  upon  them  rests 
the  responsibility  of  producing  sound  brain  fibre.  That  it  is 
in  their  power  to  make  the  quality  of  the  brain  substance 
good  or  bad,  and  that  upon  it  depends  her  child's  ability  to 
comprehend  good  or  bad  teachings;  and  the  future  well  being 


82  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

of  their  offspring  also  depends  upon  a  sound  brain  structure, 
as  its  physical  health  depends  upon  a  sound  body.  Such  an 
education  would  result  in  an  improved  race  of  human  beings 

It  is  a  question  of  the  deepest  import  what  the  child 
shall  be.  Will  its  life  be  happy  and  joyous,  a  pleasure  to 
itself  and  a  benefit  to  the  world,  or  will  it  be  a  source  of  dis- 
comfort and  discredit  to  itself  and  its  friends.  Before  its 
advent  into  the  world  its  life  problem  begins.  It  may  receive 
some  of  its  characteristics  from  its  grand-parents,  or  it  may 
resemble  its  parents,  more  or  less,  but  the  chief  influence 
over  its  entire  life  will  be  due  to  the  mental  and  physical 
condition  of  the  mother  during  the  year  preceding  its  birth. 
More  depends  upon  pre-natal,  than  upon  all  ante-natal  con- 
ditions. 

It  is  said  by  some  "That  the  sins  of  the  fathers,  their 
vices,  virtues,  the  strength  and  weakness  of  all  by-gone  gen- 
erations, find  a  focus  in  the  little  morsel  of  flesh  that  is  called 
a  baby."  It  is  said  to  be  to  our  advantage,  as  well  as  our 
misfortune,  "That  we  are  heir  to  all  the  ages,  so  that  every 
man  carries  more  or  less  of  the  imperfection — the  lower  life — 
of  all  the  long  series  of  forms,  reaching  back  to  the  begin- 
ning."  That  statement  may  be  true,  providing  there  is  a 
normal  condition  surrounding  the  mother,  and  there  is  noth- 
ing to  disturb  her  mind  during  this  period.  In  such  a  case 
it  may  be  that  heredity  has  full  sway,  the  mother  being  pass- 
ive, no  factor  except  the  natural  process  of  reproduction  is  at 
work,  and  it  is  not  interfered  with  by  any  human  agency. 
Such  cases  are  rare,  i.  e.,  that  the  mother  has  no  unusual 
wishes  or  desires  which  engross  her  mind.  It  is  at  such 
times,  by  desiring  and  wishing,  that  a  mother  can  make  the 
world  better  by  her  presence  in  it.  Every  mother  should 
know  how  to  produce  good  children;  such  as  will  at  least  be 
as  good,  if  not  better  and  happier  than  the  average.  If  she 
was  a  chicken  fancier,  she  would  study  how  to  breed  good 
chicks.  How  much  more  important  it  is  to  produce  good 
men  and  women.  Then  a  mother  should  see  to  it  that  she 


THE  STUDY  OF  MAX.  83 

does  not  bring  forth  mentally  or  physically  defective  brains 
or  bodies.  The  mother  has  it  in  her  power  to  endow  her  off- 
spring with  a  good  constitution,  a  vigorous  intellect,  and 
good  morals.  She  can  modify  them  at  will,  but  to  do  so 
intelligently,  she  must  be  educated  in  regard  to  maternal 
impressions.  The  surroundings  of  the  mother  have  much  to 
do  with  the  results,  that  is,  the  effect  which  her  environment 
has  upon  her  prospective  child;  if  it  has  a  tendency  to  make 
her  peevish  and  fretful,  or  vulgar  and  cruel,  the  child  will 
partake  of  her  nature.  As  she  is  at  that  time,  so  her  child 
will  be. 

Illustration:  Mrs.  R.,  of  I.,  when  she  became  aware  that 
she  was  to  become  a  mother,  was  very  much  vexed  because  it 
would  prevent  her  from  enjoying  the  usual  social  gatherings 
with  her  friends.  She  was  warned  of  the  bad  effect  her  peev- 
ishness and  angry  spirit  would  have  upon  her  child.  She 
scouted  the  idea,  and  would  not  believe  it.  Note  the  result- 
she  had,  as  one  lady  remarked,  "The  Grossest  baby  I  ever 
saw."  Her  second  child,  born  two  years  later,  was  of  the 
average  good  nature,  the  mother  admitting  that  in  this  case 
she  was  reconciled  to  her  situation.  The  lesson  in  the  first 
case  was  a  severe  one,  but  the  world  and  the  child  will  suffer 
through  the  ignorance  of  that  mother.  If  the  mother's  envir- 
onment is  of  such  a  nature  as  to  make  everything  pleasant, 
and  her  life  is  joyous  and  happy,  its  effect  will  be  to  produce 
a  kindly,  good-dispositioned  child. 

Illustration:  A  girl  was  born  to  Mrs.  B.,  of  H.,  when 
Mrs.  R.'s  first  child  was  fifteen  months  old.  Mrs.  B.'s  baby 
was  one  of  the  best  natured  children  that  could  be  desired. 
There  were  two  causes  which  affected  this  mother's  mind 
favorably:  First,  an  earnest  desire  for  a  child;  second,  the 
cross  baby  of  Mrs.  R.  These  two  ladies  were  very  intimate, 
and  before  the  birth  of  this  child,  Mrs.  B.  often  expressed 
herself,  "I  hope  my  baby  will  not  be  as  cross  as  Mrs.  R.'s." 
She  says  now  that  she  has  no  doubt  her  wishes,  which  she 
often  expressed,  had  the  effect  which  is  so  plainly  shown  in 


84  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

the  disposition  of  her  little  one.  When  it  is  considered  that  the 
mother  is  of  a  quick  temper  and  nervous  disposition,  the  case 
is  an  interesting  one.  Both  cases  are  so  well  known  to  the 
writer,  that  the  phenomena  compels  a  belief  in  the  mental 
influence  of  these  mothers  producing  differing  natures.  The 
ladies  were  close  friends  previous  to,  as  well  as  after,  the  birth 
of  these  children. 

A  course  in  the  study  of  the  influence  of  the  mother's 
mental  state,  as  it  affects  her  prospective  offspring,  would  be 
the  means  of  eliminating,  in  the  future,  much  of  the  mean 
disposition,  and  ugly  temperament,  that  is  so  prevalent.  It 
might  also  save  the  coming  mothers  many  a  heartache,  and 
would  be  a  blessing  to  her  offspring  as  well  as  to  society  at 
large.  The  latest  scientific  researches  prove  the  possibility 
of  the  wonderful  control  which  mind  has  over  matter,  and  the 
latest  developments  demonstrate  the  fact,  so  that  this  factor, 
mental  or  pre-natal  influence,  has  an  important  bearing  upon 
the  solution  of  the  cause  of  varieties. 

In  the  study  of  heredity  and  all  kindred  subjects,  mater- 
nal impression  is  a  factor  which  must  be  taken  into  account, 
to  enable  one  to  arrive  at  a  correct  solution.  It  is  conceded 
that  all  the  education  of  the  age  is  intended  to  develop  good, 
and  all  know  how  important  it  is  to  instruct  the  young  in  re- 
gard to  their  physical  health.  Volume  after  volume  is  written 
to  impress  this  fact  upon  parents,  but  the  most  important  of 
all,  viz:  To  instruct  the  coming  mothers  how  to  produce 
morally  sound  brains  in  their  children,  is  a  subject  which  is 
entirely  ignored.  Without  sound  brains — brains  that  are  able 
to  comprehend  that  which  is  taught — the  education  must  be  a 
failure. 

There  is  a  class  of  well-meaning,  narrow-minded,  men- 
tally weak-kneed  persons,  who,  from  a  distorted  sense  of 
propriety,  have  not  the  courage  to  endorse  measures  that  will 
enlighten  the  masses,  but  who  will  in  private  say,  "Oh,  yes! 
the  young  should  know  the  truth,  and  some  should  teach 
them,"  and  at  the  same  time  refuse  assistance  in  any  manner. 


THE  STUDY  OF  MAN.  85 

It  is  the  duty  of  all  who  have  studied  this  problem  in  the 
least,  to  enlighten  such  as  have  not  given  it  any  time  or 
thought.  In  this  way  assist  in  making  the  world  better  by 
restricting  the  birth  of  the  illy  born,  so  that  there  will  be  less 
crooked  and  warped  brain  structures,  and  fewer  physically 
deformed.  Thus,  instead  of  interfering  with  nature  through 
ignorance,  assist  in  its  better  development. 

"The  proper  study  of  mankind,  is  man."— Pope. 

Man's  study  of  his  fellow  man  is  intuitive.  This  is  plainly 
seen  in  a  child  when  it  first  attempts  to  use  a  pencil  or  pen. 
It  tries  to  produce  something,  which,  if  able  to  explain,  it 
calls  a  man  or  boy;  in  no  case  will  it  be  a  tree  or  animal. 
These  appear  as  the  child  comprehends  the  need  of  such 
things,  as  houses,  horses,  cows,  and  all  other  objects  necessary 
for  the  preservation  and  comfort  of  man.  A  child's  first  at- 
tempt at  drawing  will  generally  result  in  a  round  face,  goggle 
eyes,  a  dash  for  the  nose  and  another  for  the  mouth,  a  body 
with  two  arms  and  legs,  with  knobs  for  feet,  marks  at  the 
ends  of  the  arms  for  fingers.  A  rough  diagram  in  which 
humanity  is  displaying  itself  to  that  infant  intellect,  in  its 
simplest  form.  But  this  very  act,  viz:  The  child's  first  at- 
tempt at  fixing  its  thoughts  so  that  they  become  permanent 
and  tangible,  proves  conclusively  that  nature's  great  law  of 
self  preservation  is  asserting  itself  in  the  plastic  mind  of  the 
child,  teaching  it  the  necessity  of  man's  study  of  man;  not 
only  in  general,  but  in  the  abstract,  or  concrete  form,  and  the 
act,  when  analyzed,  is  found  to  be  one  phase  of  the  great  law 
of  self  preservation,  and  closely  allied  to  all  studies  and 
sciences  that  have  as  their  object  the  preservation  and  repro- 
duction of  the  human  race. 

The  study  of  man  will  ever  form  one  of  the  most  intel- 
lectual resources  for  the  scientific  student.  The  romantic 
realities  in  the  many  phases  of  character,  with  their  startling 
incidents  and  conflicting  scenes,  is  worthy  the  maturest 
thought  of  this  or  any  othj^r  age.  The  record  of  all  that  is 


86  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

noble  incites  the  student  to  a  better  manhood,  and  uncon- 
sciously stimulates  to  a  higher  purpose  in  thought,  word,  and 
deed,  and  the  examination  of  the  immoral  and  baser  attributes 
prompts  him  to  shun  such  action  in  his  own  life  and  charac- 
ter, providing  he  is  able  to  grasp  its  import.  A  study  of  liv- 
ing, breathing,  pulsating  humanity,  if  fully  appreciated,  con- 
tains more  real  stimulus  to  a  higher,  purer  life,  than  all  that 
a  Shakespere  ever  thought  or  wrote.  The  ever  changing 
views  of  character,  and  the  deductions  therefrom,  present  an 
estimate  of  man,  based  upon  facts  ?,nd  governed"  by  principles 
which  are  fundamentally  just  ana  true,  and  they  are  no  doubt 
of  vital  importance  to  the  proper  elevation  of  the  race,  men- 
tally, morally,  and  physically. 

In  the  study  of  varieties  in  man,  the  first  question  is  the 
person's  character.  Is  it  a  variation  from  his  immediate 
ancestors,  and  where  did  it  come  from?  The  factors  in  such 
a  case  are  many.  The  place  where  the  person  lives,  and  the 
climatic  surroundings  which  may  have  a  bearing,  should  be 
studied,  and  the  difference,  if  any,  in  the  environment  of  his 
parents.  Were  they  educated  in  the  same  mental  atmosphere? 
If  they  were,  then  that  can  be  eliminated  as  a  factor,  thus 
narrowing  the  line  of  investigation.  Study  the  parents'  pecu- 
liarities, then  any  of  the  grandparents'  peculiar  notions.  If 
no  clue  can  be  found,  the  next  and  only  course  is  the  moth- 
er's state  of  mind  for  a  few  months  before  the  birth  of  her 
child.  If  it  is  a  criminal  who  is  under  investigation,  the 
mother,  if  she  is  intellectual,  can  tell  if  she  had  any  desire 
on  the  same  line  of  criminal  action  as  is  found  in  her  off- 
spring. Be  cautious  and  do  not  be  misled  in  case  the  mother, 
through  modesty  or  shame,  denies  that  such  thoughts  had 
ever  entered  her  mind,  for  the  average  mother  is  very  sensi- 
tive upon  any  question  which  pertains  to  her  morality,  and 
might  consider  it  a  stain  upon  her  integrity,  although  always 
willing  to  excuse  her  child  by  taking  the  blame  upon  herself. 
So  that  in  all  such  investigation,  care  should  be  taken  not  to 
arouse  indignation,  which  would  tend  to  mislead  a  person  in 


THE  STUDY  OF  MAN.  87 

the  investigation.  If  the  problem  is  in  regard  to  a  peculiar 
taste  or  desire,  the  mother  will  be  able  to  tell  the  cause.  Un- 
less her  memory  be  defective,  it  will  generally  be  found  that 
her  longings  were  so  strong  that  she  could  never  forget  them. 
Do  not  be  misled,  as  was  the  writer  for  a  while,  in  the  fol- 
lowing case:  Mr.  K.  of  W.  is  a  monomaniac  upon  the  sub- 
ject of  rifles;  is  an  ardent  and  enthusiastic  member  of  a  rifle 
corps  and  gun  club;  the  handling  and  talking  about  rifles, 
(not  shotguns,  he  cares  nothing  for  them),  is  a  source  of  in- 
tense gratification  to  him,  and  he  will  drop  all  other  business 
to  talk  about  them.  He  remembers  when  he  was  five  years  of 
age.  getting  a  gun  into  his  hands  for  the  first  time,  he  could 
not  lift  it,  but  recalls  the  thrill  of  pleasure  that  ran  through 
him.  He  was  a  crack  shot,  and  represented  the  state  in  which 
he  lives,  at  the  international  rifle  meet  in  New  York.  His 
mother  was  asked  if  she  had  encouraged  him  in  this  desire, 
or  had  taught  him  to  handle  a  gun.  She  replied,  "Oh,  no!  I 
always  opposed  it,  and  trembled  with  fear  whenever  I  saw  him 
with  a  gun."  So  that  his  education  was  not  the  cause.  For 
a  time  the  theory  of  maternal  impressions  in  this  case  received 
a  back-set.  Here  was  a  mother  who  had  no  love  for  the  things 
which  her  son  had  such  an  intense  desire  for;  in  fact,  she  was 
afraid  of  them,  and  her  whole  mentality  was  opposed  to  them. 
If  the  investigation  had  stopped  there,  it  would  have  been  a 
point  against  maternal  impression;  but  in  another  interview, 
and  a  closer  investigation,  the  fact  was  elicited  that  when  the 
parents  were  married,  the  father  was  a  member  of  a  rifle  com- 
pany in  Sweden,  and  how  proud  the  mother  was  to  see  her 
young  husband  in  his  daily  rifle  practice,  with  a  glittering  gun 
upon  his  shoulder.  The  desire  to  thus  see  her  husband  daily, 
so  arranged  the  brain  cells  in  her  child  that  his  whole  delight 
is  for  rifles;  it  is  his  only  pastime.  Five  months  after  the 
birth  of  this  son,  the  father's  time  expired  as  a  soldier  and  the 
family  emigrated  to  the  United  States.  The  father  never  had 
any  desire  to  handle  a  gun,  and  his  membership  in  the  rifle 
company  was  compulsory.  The  father's  dislike  for  and  the 


88  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

mother's  fear  of  guns  eliminates  heredity  as  a  factor.  It  is 
well  to  add  that  Mr.  K.  never  goes  hunting  for  game,  in  fact, 
is  opposed  to  it;  his  mania  is  solely  to  handle  rifles  and  par- 
ticipate in  rifle  practice.  Here  the  question  of  maternal  im- 
pression was  plainly  proven,  and  it  is  dwelt  upon  to  caution 
an  investigator  in  regard  to  misleading  answers  on  the  part 
of  the  mother,  which  is,  in  most  cases,  done  unintentionally. 
If  the  peculiarity  is  a  passion  for  music,  the  mother  will 
admit  that  she  was  strongly  impressed,  either  by  a  desire  to 
be  a  musician,  or  hoped  that  her  child  would  take  to  music; 
or,  possibly,  as  was  the  case  of  one,  where  the  mother,  who 
knew  nothing  of  music,  accompanied  her  husband,  who  was 
an  amateur,  each  week  or  two,  when  he  went  to  practice  with 
a  friend.  This  case  is  well  known  to  the  writer. 


THE  ELEVATION  OF  MANKIND.  89 


CHAPTEK  VIII. 

THE  ELEVATION  OF  MANKIND. 

The  brain  of  man;  its  formation;  and  through  it,  the  in- 
fluence it  has  upon  the  mind,  with*  its  peculiar  instincts  and 
varieties;  its  effects  upon  the  individual  character,  and  upon 
society,  is  a  subject  worthy  of  the  best  thought  of  this  gener- 
ation; and  its  study  on  the  line  of  maternal  impressions,  will 
bring  with  it  a  solution  of  the  problem;  will  teach  how  to 
elevate  the  race. 

All  measures  which  have  been  tried,  and  that  are  in  use, 
have  not  prevented  the  degradation  of  a  large  share  of  the 
world's  inhabitants;  that  is,  the  methods  in  use  have  not  pre- 
vented the  many  from  sinking  into  the  mire  of  degradation 
and  crime.  There  are  persons  who  are  fixed  in  the  idea  that 
human  agency  is  unable  to  do  anything  without  the  aid  of 
something  supernatural,  and  they  decline  to  use  that  share  of 
common  sense  which  is  allotted  to  each  one,  in  a  greater  or 
lesser  degree.  Such  individuals  will  have  no  use  for  this 
work,  and  it  was  not  written  for  them.  No  evidence  could  be 
presented,  no  experience  of  their  own,  or  that  of  their  nearest 
or  best  friends,  could  avail;  all  facts  presented  would  be 
looked  at  from  a  supernatural  standpoint,  through  darkened 
and  ignorant  mental  optics.  But  the  man  or  woman  who  be- 
lieves that  they,  have  been  created  for  some  good  purpose,  and 
who  will  use  the  God-given  faculties  which  they  possess,  to 
elevate  themselves,  and  to  improve  the  race;  to  such  persons 
a  thoughtful  study  of  the  work  is  commended.  It  will  be 


90  MATER XAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

especially  beneficial  to  the  coming  parents  of  the  land;  to  the 
young  men  and  women  who  expect  to  become  fathers  and 
mothers.  To  them  it  is  earnestly  commended,  as  it  is  largely 
for  their  instruction.  The  future  well-being  of  mankind  de- 
pends upon  the  coming  race,  rather  than  upon  any  efforts 
that  can  be  made  effective  for  the  majority  of  those  now  in 
existence.  By  this  it  is  not  meant  to  imply  that  the  efforts 
now  put  forth  to  elevate  humanity  should  cease;  by  no  means! 
This  subject  is  discussed  in  another  chapter. 

The  facts  presented  on  the  line  of  maternal  impressions, 
and  the  arguments  to  show  the  ability  of  the  mother  to  con- 
trol and  shape  the  destiny  of  her  offspring,  are  not  generally 
known.  It  is  a  subject  that  should  be  made  so  plain,  that  no 
one  can  err,  in  the  proper  education  of  the  masses  on  this 
line;  an  education  that  will  teach  them  .the  power  which  they 
exert,  and  that  it  rests  solely  with  the  mother.  Such  teach- 
ing will  enable  her  to  elevate  or  degrade  her  offspring;  and 
that  it  is  done  prenatally,  is  here  proven.  "We  must  edu- 
cate," says  old  Dr.  Beecher,  "We  must  educate,  or  we  must 
perish."  Every  person  has  been  brought  into  existence  by 
woman;  her  life  and  her  thoughts  have  at  least  partially 
moulded  each  one's  existence  before  birth.  And  the  policy  of 
repression,  or  the  attempt  to  keep  the  coming  mothers  in  en- 
tire ignorance  of  fundamental  laws  governing  the  reproduc- 
tion of  the  race,  has  been  in  vogue  too  long  and  society  is 
paying  the  penalty. 

Lady  Henry  Somerset  says:  "There  has  grown  up  in 
America,  an  artificially  imposed  silence  upon  all  questions 
relating  to  maternity,  until  that  holy  thing  has  become  a  mat- 
ter of  shame!  Will  not  women  try  and  break  this  down?  It 
seems  life  will  be  truer,  and  nobler,  the  more  we  recognize 
that  there  is  no  indelicacy  in  the  climax  and  coronation  of 
the  creative  powers,  but  rather  it  is  the  highest  glory  of  the 
race;  ....  How  many  children  are  born  into  the  world, 
whose  mothers  greet  them  with  a  sob,  instead  of  a  kiss. 
Through  dreary  months  these  mothers  have  environed  the 


THE  ELEVATION  OF  MAXKIXD.  91 

child  with  a  feeling  that  it  is  not  wanted,  it  is  at  enmity  with 
all  its  surroundings,  and  its  blighted  life  is  evidence  of  some 
attempt  to  thwart  natural  laws."  In  commenting  upon  Lady 
Somerset's  statement,  the  editor  of  the  "Arena"  says:  "This 
occurs,  not  only  in  the  houses  of  the  poor  and  depraved,  but 
in  the  homes  of  the  rich  and  educated.  Their  little  ones  are 
blessed  with  a  pure  heart  and  mind,  or  cursed  with  a  passion- 
ate temper No  fact  is  of  more  importance,  and  about 

which  there  is  such  dense  ignorance,  not  alone  on  the  part  of 
the  masses,  but  in  the  minds  of  our  public  men,  the  result  of 
this  reign  of  ignorance  is  seen  in  the  murder  records,  and  the 
offenses  against  society  as  well  as  the  diseases  transmitted 
from  parent  to  child,  this  picture  cannot  be  overdrawn." 

What  our  country  needs  is  intelligent  and  wise  parents, 
who  will  bear  children  that  will  not  be  the  wards  of  the  state, 
and  thus,  in  time,  the  charitable  and  penal  institutions  of  the 
land  will  become  depopulated.  We  pray  with  the  murderer, 
before  hanging  him.  It  would  have  been  better  to  have  had 
him  born  into  the  world  with  good  instincts,  instead  of  mur- 
derous ones. 

Dr.  Forbes  Winslow,  who  has  been  referred  to,  has  truly 
said:  "Something  more  potent  than  mere  intellectual  culture 
is  required  to  be  put  in  force  for  the  purpose  of  regulating 
the  conduct  of  respectable  beings  with  a  free  will  across  the 
stormy  sea  of  life,  "from  birth  to  death."  The  question  for 
the  sociologist  and  the  humanitarian  to  solve,  is,  what  is  this 
"More  potent  thing?" 

The  fundamental  principle  of  our  system  of  education,  so 
far  as  the  department  of  family  relation  is  concerned,  is  de- 
fective, as  it  fails  to  teach  the  necessity  of  producing  sound 
and  healthy  brains.  This  can  only  be  done  by  a  system 
which  teaches  the  coming  mothers  that  if  they  allow  their 
minds  to  be  filled  with  unrighteous  and  unholy  thoughts,  the 
result  will  be — must  be — defective  brains  in  their  offspring. 
The  influence  of  tae  mind  of  a  prospective  mother  upon  her 
child  before  its  birth  is  of  tremendous  importance  to  its 


92  MATERXAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

active  existence  as  a  member  of  society,  from  the  fact  that  it 
lies  in  that  mother's  power  to  shape  its  mentality,  that  it  may 
be  a  power  for  good  or  for  evil.  Very  few  are  aware  that 
there  is  such  an  influence,  and  the  masses  have  never  given 
it  any  thought.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  it  exerts  a  com- 
manding influence  and  gives  direction  or  determines  the 
whole  life  and  character  of  the  individual.  The  compara- 
tively few  who  have  any  knowledge  of  the  subject,  know  that 
what  they  do  know  is  but  little,  in  regard  to  the  various  pro- 
cesses at  work  in  the  formation  of  the  brain  substance — that 
is,  they  know  but  little  of  the  influence  of  the  mother's  mind 
in  increasing  or  decreasing  the  receptive  brain  capacity  of 
her  offspring. 

The  question  has  been  asked,  "What  do  you  propose  to 
accomplish  by  this  pessimistic  view  of  society?"  The  aim  is 
to  awaken  a  discussion  upon  the  subject,  and  thus  assist  in 
dispelling  the  mist  of  ignorance  and  false  conceptions  of  duty 
that  we  owe  to  the  youth  of  the  land,  and  especially  to  edu- 
cate that  class  who  can  control  the  future  well  being  of  the 
race — viz:  The  coming  parents. 

It  is  not  so  essential  that  the  coming  fathers  should  be 
instructed,  but  the  study  of  the  subject  can  do  them  no  harm, 
on  the  contrary,  it  will  teach  them,  that  when  they  become 
heads  of  families,  the  necessity  of  good  environment  for  their 
wives,  and  especially  when  the  mother  is  in  the  condition  to 
which  this  work  calls  attention.  We  hope  to  bring  the  sub- 
ject of  maternal  impressions  before  intelligent  parents;  to 
impress  them  with  a  comprehension  of  the  great  need  of  an 
education  upon  the  line  of  pre-natal  influence. 

In  the  study  of  this  subject,  as  here  presented,  no  one  of 
chaste  mind  will  feel  unwilling  to  recommend  its  perusal,  as 
not  a  word  can  be  found  in  it  to  jar  the  feelings  or  shock  the 
most  sensitive.  The  use  of  technical  terms  that  are  unintelli- 
gible to  the  masses  words  that  are  hard  to  pronounce  and 
rarely  heard  by  the  many  have  been  left  for  other  works,  by 
scientific  writers.  Technical  terms  are  not  adhered  to,  as 


THE  ELEVATION  OF  MAXKIXD.  93 

they  are  too  scholastic  for  the  general  reader.  Most  of  the 
literature  upon  kindred  subjects  is  written  by  professionals 
for  students  of  abstract  science,  and  they  indulge  in  too  much 
literary  verbiage,  which  confuses  the  average  man,  and  it  is 
usually  couched  in  such  scholarly  tones — as  Emerson  says: 
"Wrapt  in  academic  robes  that  hinder  thought  with  its  vol- 
uminous folds," — so  that  the  average  college-bred  person 
labors  through  it  with  a  dictionary  at  hand  and  then  at  times 
not  able  to  find  words  which  are  only  familiar  to  physicians; 
and  often  the  medical  student  would  be  compelled  to  refer  to 
special  works  that  give  the  definition  of  medical  terms.  This 
makes  any  work  written  by  scientists,  upon  the  subject  of 
pre-natal  influence,  too  laborious  for  the  masses,  who  must 
become  interested  if  any  permanent  good  is  to  be  accomp- 
lished. Comparatively  few  of  the  common  people  would  ever 
see  a  scientific  work  upon  the  subject,  as  such  books  are 
usually  in  the  hands  of  students  of  science,  and  if  perchance 
one  of  the  uncultured  class  looked  into  such  a  book,  its  pages 
would  be  scanned  mechanically,  and  at  last  it  would  be  laid 
down  with  a  feeling  of.  "Oh!  that  is  entirely  too  deep  for  me." 
In  this  work  the  subject  is  made  so  plain  that  any  one 
with  a  common  school  education,  or  who  can  read  and  under- 
stand every-day  forms  of  speech,  will  be  able  to  fully  compre- 
hend it ;  and,  with  the  exception  of  the  chapters  which  are 
allotted  to  an  examination  of  kindred  subjects  (and  these  are 
simplified),  it  is  written  in  the  language  of  the  common  peo- 
ple. The  average  boy  or  girl  can  read  it,  and,  when  finished, 
will  lay  it  down  with  a  feeling  that  they  are  wiser  upon  this 
very  important  subject,  and  it  will  pave  the  way  for  an  intelli- 
gent parent  to  discuss  a  question  that  is  not  as  much  spoken 
about  as  it  should  be  for  the  good  of  their  children.  Why 
the  average  educated  and  otherwise  well  informed  parents  do 
not  like  to  talk  about  the  manner  or  means  by  which  human 
nature,  in  fact,  all  living  creatures  reproduce  themselves  has 
not  been  fathomed;  it  is  sufficient,  for  this  argument,  to  know 
that  it  is  so,  at  least  among  civilized  nations,  whether  the  con- 


94-  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

trary  is  true  as  regards  barbarous  nations  is  mere  conjecture, 
but  the  inference  is  that  they  are  deficient  in  that  which  we 
call  modesty. 

This  work  is  in  no  sense  immodest,  on  the  contrary,  the 
language  is  pure  and  chaste.  Such  a  work  is  sorely  needed 
in  the  education  of  our  youth.  Intelligent  men  can  study  it 
with  improvement;  sincere  and  earnest  Christians  may  exam- 
ine it  without  being  offended;  and  the  purest  minded  girls 
may  read  it  without  causing  a  blush  to  mantle  their  cheeks. 
It  is  hoped  that  it  will  be  found  so  useful  that  every  parent 
will  study  it,  and  will  make  it,  as  it  were,  a  household  book, 
fit  for  the  parlor  and  tlie  family  circle. 

A  further  and  very  important  object  is  to  make  it  a  text- 
book for  schools  and  colleges.  There  is  the  place  where  the 
"Something  more  potent  than  mere  intellectual  culture,"  must 
take  root.  In  the  school  room  the  work  of  enlightening  the 
masses  upon  the  most  important  question  which  confronts 
the  student  of  social  progress  at  this  time  must  be  done.  The 
subject  of  maternal  impressions  is,  fundamentally,  the  power 
which  mind  exerts  over  matter  under  certain  conditions.  It 
is  never  taught  in  books  on  physiology;  is  ruled  out,  or, 
rather,  is  not  found  in  the  curiculum  of  medical  colleges,  and 
the  average  physician  does  not  discuss  the  subject  with  his 
patients.  The  fact  is,  the  doctors  are  not  as  well  informed 
upon  the  subject  as  one  would  suppose;  their  time  is  spent  in 
studying  how  to  heal  the  sick  and  bind  up  the  wounds  of 
humanity,  and  their  business  is  to  take  charge  of  humanity 
during  and  after  birth. 

Upon  all  other  questions  pertaining  to  the  welfare  and 
improvement  of  humanity  the  search-light  of  science  has  been 
turned,  but  this  most  important  of  all  subjects  has  been  com- 
paratively ignored,  and  young  men  and  women  have  drifted 
into  the  joys  and  sorrows  of  fatherhood  and  motherhood,  in 
most  cases,  as  ignorant  of  nature's  great  and  all-important 
law  of  reproduction  as  the  most  ignorant  savage.  It  might 
be  said,  more  ignorant  than  the  Indian,  as  they  hold  the  per- 


THE  ELEVATION  OF  MANKIND.  95 

son  of  their  squaws  sacred  while  in  process  of  nourishing  or 
building  the  body  of  the  prospective  child. 

If  the  study  of  this  work  does  no  more  than  teach  some  of 
our  daughters  the  sanctity  of  the  life  they  bear,  or  expect  to 
within  them,  the  work  and  time  spent  upon  it  will  be 
amply  repaid. 


96  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE   OUTCOME. 

"We  do  not  take  possession  of  our  ideas,  but  are  possessed  by  them They 

master  us  and  force  us  into  the  arena,  where,  like  gladiators,  we  must  fight  for 
them." — Heine. 

What  the  probable  outcome  will  be,  of  our  present  system 
of  efforts  to  elevate  the  substratum  of  society,  known  as  the 
"Submerged  Tenth,"  can  be  inferred  by  a  retrospective  view 
of  what  has  been  done  in  the  past  for  the  amelioration  of  the 
poor  and  criminal  classes.  From  such  a  view  no  hope  of  any 
change  can  be  expected.  Note  the  efforts  which  have  been 
put  forth  for  many  years  in  behalf  of  the  children  in  the 
schools  of  New  York  City.  Various  plans  have  been  tried  for 
their  moral  culture,  and  abandoned.  At  one  time,  every 
morning,  some  portion  of  the  Bible  was  read ;  then  the  Lord's 
prayer  repeated,  and  appropriate  hymn  sung.  The  superin- 
tendent complained  of  a  large  class  of  vicious  boys,  which  the 
schools  could  not  restrain.  They  went  from  school  to  school, 
until  they  were  declared  to  be  incorrigible;  then  all  schools 
were  closed  to  them,  after  which  they  roamed  the  streets  until 
the  majority  graduated  in  prison. 

Societies  for  the.  relief  of  the  indigent  are  very  numerous, 
but  all  plans  which  have  been  tried  are  found  wanting  in  the 
elements  of  success.  So  far,  none  have  been  able  to  prevent 
the  degradation  of  the  masses.  Since  1855  a  society  has  been 
at  work  in  New  York,  trying  to  elevate  the  lower  classes,  men- 
tally, morally,  and  physically. 


THE  OUTCOME.  S7 


The  prospectus  of  this  organization  states:  "Its  object  is 
to  improve  the  home  life,  health  and  habits  of  the  indigent, 
reduce  poverty  and  vagrancy,  also  to  ascertain  the  true  cause 
of  their  distress."  This  organization  takes  the  children  and 
teaches  the  girls  to  sew  and  to  do  general  housework  in  addi- 
tion to  the  regular  school  studies.  They  are  taught  how  to 
prepare  food  in  the  cheapest  manner,  and  what  kind  of  food 
is  the  most  nourishing;  to  work  with  few  kitchen  utensils;  as 
for  instance,  when  they  have  no  strainer  or  grater,  to  take  an 
old  tin  can  and  punch  holes  in  the  bottom  with  a  nail.  Cook- 
ing schools  are  in  operation  in  all  large  cities,  to  supplement 
what  is  known  as  a  higher  education.  All  this  may  be  very 
instructive,  but  ineffective  in  the  majority  of  cases,  so  far  as 
the  moral  elevation  of  the  masses  is  concerned,  judging  by 
the  various  criminal  statistics  published  by  the  state  officials 
whose  duty  it  is  to  keep  a  record  of  all  crimes  against  society. 

The  many  deeds  of  cruelty  and  crime  call  the  attention  of 
the  sociologist  to  the  cause  of  the  mental  condition  of  criminals, 
whose  misdemeanors  at  times  shock  the  whole  community. 
The  one  who  commits  a  horrible  crime  and  is  indifferent  to  his 
misdeeds,  must  be  an  abnormal  character;  his  make  up  of  a 
nature  not  like  the  majority  of  mankind,  but  seems  to  be  as 
Holmes,  the  murderer,  states  it,  "Born  with  the  devil  in  me." 
Holmes  never  expressed  any  regret,  and  said:  "I  could  not 
help  being  a  murderer,  any  more  than  a  poet  could  help 
inspiration  to  song;  the  inclination  to  murder  came  to  me  as 
naturally  as  the  inspiration  to  do  right  comes  to  others." 
There  are  mysteries  of  crime  which  are  too  deep  for  philoso- 
phy to  solve,  or  the  law  to  fathom. 

THE    SUBMERGED    TENTH. 

When  the  term,  "The  Submerged  Tenth,"  is  used  in  the 
various  periodicals,  the  average  man  has  in  mind  the  very 
lowest  dregs  of  society — those  found  in  the  city  slums,  and 
the  outcasts  in  the  highways  and  byways  of  the  land.  Society 
looks  upon  that  class  not  only  with  pity  and  contempt,  but 


98  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

with  fear  and  trembling,  as  to  the  outcome.  What  will  be 
the  result  to  the  nation,  if  the  ratio  of  the  "submerged  tenth" 
increases  in  the  future  as  it  has  in  the  past?  Judging  from 
the  many  articles  in  magazines  and  journals,  thinking  people 
are  continually  in  fear  of  the  disaster  which  may  overtake  the 
nation. 

If  a  study  is  made  of  the  enormous  increase  of  crime,  and 
the  steady  accumulation  of  the  number  of  imbecile  and  in- 
sane, who  are,  or  become,  a  charge  upon  the  public — when  it 
is  considered  that  there  were  95,000  imbecile  children  in  the 
United  States  (see  census  of  1890),  8,000  of  them  in  charge 
of  the  various  state  institutions,  the  balance  of  87,000  were 
distributed  among  the  families  of  which  they  are  members — 
the  subject  is  appalling.  This  class,  that  is  the  95,000,  could 
well  be  called  a  type  of  the  "submerged  tenth,"  but  of  a  dif- 
ferent lineage.  Those  to  whom  Gen.  Booth  gave  the  name  of 
"the  submerged  tenth,"  "are  the  product  of  the  criminal  and 
the  depraved  classes."  This  statement  is  only  a  half  truth, 
that  is,  partially  correct.  A  careful  investigation,  and  the 
evidence  of  prison  records  prove  that  most  felons  are  of  good 
parentage.  If  the  reader  will  think  of  the  number  of  crim- 
inals who  have  been  sentenced  from  his  section,  he  will  find 
that  most  of  them  are  the  children  of  respectable  parentage. 
But  that  large  class  of  imbecile  children  who  are  not  a  public 
charge,  as  well  as  many  of  those  who  are  in  public  institu- 
tions, in  one  sense  may  be  termed  "the  submerged  tenth"  of 
the  middle  and  wealthy  classes.  They  are  the  product  of 
those  who  are  the  conservators  of  good  order,  and  who  are 
governed  by  and  obey  the  laws.  The  largest  number  of  this 
type  of  humanity  are  rarely  seen  by  the  public,  unless  their 
homes  are  visited,  where,  in  many  cases,  the  victim  is  the 
skeleton  in  the  closet,  rarely  shown  or  mentioned.  A  few 
may  be  seen  at  the  asylums,  but  the  worst  cases  are  not  shown 
to  the  casual  visitor  even  in  such  institutions. 

All  efforts  at  teaching  such  as  are  born  crippled  in  mind 
and  soul,  is  a  failure.  This  is  admitted  by  every  one  who  has 


INCREASE  OF  CRIME.  99 

made  a  study  of  the  subject.  The  officers  of  the  asylums  for 
such  unfortunates  say,  not  one  per  cent  can  ever  become  self- 
sustaining;  they  cannot  be  cured,  only  eased  through  "this 
mleof  tears;"  they  are  an  unnatural  natural  production,  like 
the  blind,  deaf,  and  crippled;  they  are  victims  of  their  own 
faulty  organization,  for  which  they  are  not  to  blame. 

INCREASE   OF   CRIME. 
"Crime  increases  everywhere  within  civilization." — Strahan. 

That  crime,  and  consequent  misery,  is  on  the  increase  can 
hardly  be  denied.  In  the  annual  report  of  the  New  York 
Secretary  of  State,  March  30,  1896,  he  says:  "There  were 
71,491  convictions  for  crime  for  the  year  1895,  against  68,104 
in  1894,"  an  increase  in  that  state  of  3,387  in  one  year. 

From  other  reports  we  find  there  were  the  following  num- 
ber of  murders  committed  in  the  United  States,  for  the  years 
given  below: 

1882...  1,467  1885...  1,808  1888... 2,184  1891...  5,906 
1883 . . .  1,642  1886 . . .  1,879  1889 . . .  3,567  1892  ...*.... 
1884...  1,465  1887...  2,335  1890...  4,290  1895 ...  10,500 

*  I  could  find  no  figures  for  1892,  1893  and  1894. 

Iii  1880  there  were  35,538  convicts  in  the  various  peniten- 
tiaries of  the  United  States;  in  1890,  45,233.  There  were 
confined  in  the  various  jails  of  the  United  States,  in  1880, 
12,691,  and  in  1890,  19,538.  The  average  number  of  convicts 
in  the  Iowa  prisons  increased  from  567,  in  1887,  to  947,  in 
1895.  The  same  condition  of  affairs  exist  in  nearly  all  the 
states  of  the  union.  Of  the  insane  in  the  various  hospitals 
there  were,  in  1880,  41,177,  "and  in  1890,  74,028. 

Upon  an  examination  of  the  presumed  cause  for  the  in- 
crease of  crime,  and  the  various  remedies  which  have  been 
suggested  by  the  wise  men  of  the  age,  we  find,  among  others, 
an  article  in  The  North  American  Review  (1896)  under  the 
title  of  "How  to  Arrest  the  Increase  of  Homicide,"  which 
says:  "The  problem  confronting  us  is  whether  crimes  which 
destroy  life  shall  be  triumphant;  whether  the  man  of  blood 


100  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

....  shall  be  the  despotic  ruler,  is  the  great  question  of 

the  hour We  find  that  in  the  last  six  years  there 

were  43,902  homicides,  and  10,500  of  them  committed  in  1895. 
....  As  before  stated,  these  figures  show  that  crime  is  in- 
creasing  We  are  all  anxious  for  a  remedy,  but  before 

we  can  obtain  one  ....  we  must  know  the  cause.  It  can- 
not be  from  defective  laws,  either  in  state  or  nation."  [Let 
the  reader  mark  the  cause  as  given  by  this  writer.]  "It  is 
largely  because  of  the  corrupt  methods  resorted  to  to  defeat 
the  law's  administration.  *.-..'.  The  condition  is  serious. 

....  There  must  be  a  remedy This  can  only  be 

obtained  where  full,  impartial,  and  rapid  vindication  of  the 

law  is  to  be  had In  fact,  the  greatest  cause  for  the 

increase  of  crime  is  the  action  of  the  appellate  courts 

I  would  remodel  the  appellate  system My  judgment 

is,  if  the  people  will  turn  their  attention  to  this  gravest  of  all 
questions,  and  build  up  a  sentiment  for  the  pure  administra- 
tion of  the  law,  ....  crime  will  decrease  in  a  large 
measure." 

The  above  is  the  gist  of  the  argument.  We  submit  that, 
considered  logically,  the  article  proves,  if  it  proves  anything, 
that  if  the  appellate  court  were  abolished, — as  they  are  said 
to  be  the  cause — there  would  be  no  more  crime.  Oh,  No! 
Judge,  you  have  not  given  us  the  cause;  you  have  only 
emphasized  an  effect  of  a  cause.  Is  the  reader  of  that  article 
to  infer  that  the  gentleman  believes  it  would  stay  the  hand  of 
a  criminal  who  has  murder  in  his  heart  if  the  contemplating 
murderer  knew  that  the  appellate  court  was  reconstructed? 
Would  a  human  brute,  crazed  by  drink,  who.  after  dragging 
his  wife  around  by  the  hair  of  her  head,  beats  her  brains  out; 
would  he  be  more  gentle  and  only  kick  her  out  of  the  house, 
because  there  has  been  a  change  in  the  procedure  of  the 
appellate  court?  The  ruffian  perhaps  never  knew  that  there 
was  such  an  august  body,  and  cared  less,  when  his  murderous 
instincts  were  aroused. 

No,  rib!   The  gentlemen  comprising  the  appellate  court, 


INCREASE  OF  CRIME.  1 01 

are  not  the  cause  of  the  increase  of  crime;  they  may  be  the 
3ause  of  the  defeat  of  justice,  in  some  cases.  They  are  not 
the  cause  of  a  few,  or  even  any,  of  the  murders  any  more  than 
they  are  to  blame  or  are  the  cause  of  the  death  of  a  man 
hung  for  murder,  when  they  pass  upon  and  confirm  the 
sentence  of  the  lower  courts  and  order  that  its  decree  be  car- 
ried out.  The  honorable  gentleman  will  be  compelled  to 
give  a  better  exposition  of  the  cause  of  the  increase  of 
homicides  before  his  theory  can  be  accepted. 

Many  articles  are  written  upon  this  subject,  but  none,  so 
far,  have  a  remedy  to  offer  which  is  effective.  Why?  Be- 
cause they  do  not  find  the  fundamental  reason  for  the  crim- 
inality of  the  age.  When  the  true  cause  of  crime  is  found, 
good  citizens,  in  state  and  nation,  must  apply  the  proper 
remedy. 

Another  eminent  gentleman,  in  an  address  delivered  be- 
fore the  "Patria"  club  of  New  York,  April  10th  1896,  upon 
the  subject  of  high  crime  in  the  United  States,  the  Hon.  An- 
drew D.  White,  Ex-President  of  Cornell  College,  made  some 
startling  statements,  and  gave  figures  to  prove  them.  He  said: 
"That  under  no  other  civilized  government,  is  the  right  of 
life  so  trampled  upon  as  under  the  government  of  the  United 
States."  The  speaker  gave  as  one  cause  for  the  great  increase 
of  crime,  "That  enough  loop-holes  will  be  found  in  the  laws, 
by  men  trained  in  the  search,  to  save  the  criminal  from  the 
penalty  which  his  crime  deserves." 

He  said  further:  "There  are  10,000  murderers  doomed  to 
death  in  the  United  States  within  the  next  twelve  months. 
In  1889,  there  were  3,567  murders  committed,  and  in  1895, 
10,500,  [which  corroborates  the  North  American  Review's 
statement;]  ....  If  all  the  murderers  were  in  prison  there 
would  be  over  40,000  of  them."  He  said  [mark  how  near  he 
comes  to  the  real  cause]:  "The  cause  of  the  increase  of 
crime  is  due  to  dime  novels,  newspapers,  posters,  and  the 
melodrama The  remedy — moral  instruction,  preach- 
ing righteousness,  cleaner  journalism,  remodeling  of  prisons, 


102  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

and  laws  against  viscious  books,"  and  suggested  speedier  pun- 
ishment for  crime. 

Is  there  anything  in  the  argument  of  this  well-known 
educator  that  has  not  been  tried?  We  had  clean  journalism 
years  ago,  and  still  crime  increased.  As  for  preaching,  moral 
instruction,  and  righteousness,  the  civilized  world  and  espec- 
ially the  United  States,  have  been  at  work  on  these  lines  for 
a  long  time.  There  are  more  churches  and  members,  more 
ministers,  more  money  contributed,  and  more  Christian  benev- 
olence, not  alone  alms,  but  deeds  of  mercy,  than  ever  before. 
Enthusiastic  optimists  are  pleading  for  kindergartens,  baths, 
free  concerts,  prayers  and  preaching,  and  general  reform  of 
the  penal  system.  Many  "Good  Samaritians"  work  in  the 
slums  amid  squalor  and  filth,  and  still  the  great  increase  of 
crime  goes  on.  Compare  the  record  of  crime  with  the  in- 
crease of  church  membership:— H.  K.  Carroll,  United  States 
statistician,  in  the  Century  Magazine,  May,  1896,  says:  "In 
1890  there  were  20,618,387,  and  in  1895,  24,646,584  church 
members,  ....  the  net  gain  from  1890  to  1895  was  4,028,- 
197.  There  were  $150.000,000  contributed  in  one  year  for  the 
spread  of  the  Gospel  of  Righteousness  in  the  United  States." 
Now  note  the  increase  of  crime.  6,933  more  murders  in  1895 
than  in  1890,  almost  three  times  as  many.  There  are  some 
who  flatter  themselves  that  the  spirit  of  evil  is  decreasing,  and 
that  righteousness  is  gaining  ground,  such  items  as  quoted 
from  the  Century  are  published  to  prove  it. 

There  is  great  danger  in  such  blind  optimistic  conserva- 
tism. Prudence,  patriotism,  human  sympathy,  and  religious 
sentiment  call  upon  the  age  to  undertake  the  task  of  relieving 
society  from  the  era  of  crime  which  is  stalking  over  the  land. 
Some  other  factor  must  be  called  to  assist  the  preaching, 
praying,  and  the  doing;  "Something  more  potent  than  mere 
intellectual  culture  must  transpire." 

One  professional  teacher  has  nothing  better  to  offer  than 
to  say,  "That  the  saving  grace  is  for  each  one  to  mind  his 
own  business."  Such  a  statement  is  inspired  by  pure,  una- 


IXC  RE  A  SE  OF  CRIME.  103 

dulterated  selfishness.  Another  educator  suggests,  that  "The 
remedy  for  the  regeneration  of  the  poor  and  criminal  classes 
would  be  to  put  them  through  a  surgical  operation,  leaving 
enough  to  breed  as  many  as  would  be  necessary  to  do  the 
heavy  labor  of  the  land." 

This  writer  is  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  most  criminals  are 
the  product  of  the  middle  and  well-to-do  class.  ( See  report 
of  the  Superintendent  of  Randall  Island  House  of  Refuge: 
"That  not  one  per  cent,  of  the  boys  in  his  charge  are  from 
criminal  parents.")  And  this  is  all  that  the  wise  men  of  the 
age  can  offer  for  the  regeneration  of  humanity.  Our  Creator 
surely  does  not  demand  that  one  of  his  creatures  shall  be 
mutilated,  and  that  the  public  shall  thereby  violate  a  natural 
law.  There  must  be  some  plan,  which  will  be  acceptable  to 
an  overruling  Providence;  some  plan  that  will  harmonize 
with  the  laws  of  nature  and  of  nature's  God..  The  key-note, 
as  to  the  cause  of  the  increase  of  crime,  has  not  been  struck 
by  those  who  have  thus  far  been  using  wrong  terms,  and  in- 
vestigating effects  of  crime.  They  must  go  back  of  the  effect. 
The  appellate  court,  vicious  books,  posters,  melodrama, 
etc.,  etc.,  are  not  the  cause  of  crime;  they  are  not  the  funda- 
mental cause;  they  are  the  secondary,  not  the  primary  cause; 
and  crime  is  the  result  of  the  primary  and  secondary  causes. 
The  primary  cause  is  imperfect  brain  formation,  and  the  sec- 
ondary is  environment,  or  education. 

The  cause  of  a  love  for  vicious  literature  and  immoral 
actions,  should  be  the  first  study.  Man  must  be  investigated 
on  the  line  of  psychology,  not  alone  anthropology;  his  tem- 
perament, race,  and  sex;  the  climate,  necessities,  and  especi- 
ally the  environment  of  the  mother;  every  phase  of  her  men- 
tal condition  must  be  taken  into  account,  to  find  how  or  why 
good  parents  produce  mentally  deformed  children.  This  can 
only  be  done  by  general  observation ;  not  by  laboratory  meth- 
ods, or  studies  in  a  library.  What  the  mother  sees,  hears 
and  tastes;  her  hopes  and  fears;  her  whole  environment, 
should  be  taken  into  account,  and  the  whole  rounded  and 


104  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

completed  by  a  study  of  the  result  upon  the  brain  formation 
of  her  offspring.  All  these  must  be  studied,  as  they  are 
factors  in  the  development  of  her  child. 

There  are  men  who  are  unable  to  construct  a  single  gram- 
matical sentence,  in  their  mother  tongue,  much  less  in  Greek 
or  Latin,  who  have  learned  by  observation  how  to  improve 
their  live  stock,  but  humanity  has  not  learned  to  know  its 
own  needs,  and  how  to  improve  posterity.  "It  is  in  itself  a 
most  unanswerable  argument  against  the  defective  education 
of  our  time,  which  trains  the  intellect,  but  does  not  develop 
character." 

The  mental  characteristics  of  the  passion-swayed  young 
men  and  women  of  our  land  will  play  an  important  part  in 
moulding  the  civilization  of  to-morrow,  and  their  children, 
through  environment  and  maternal  impressions,  will  partake 
of  the  vicious  taint  of  passion,  greed  and  crime,  if  the  moth- 
ers are  not  educated  upon  the  line  of  reproduction ;  and  then 
they  must  heed  the  lessons.  Such  lessons  the  prospective 
mother  will  heed  much  sooner  than  moral  lectures,  from  the 
fact  that  the  most  depraved  mother's  love  for  her  offspring 
will  assert  itself,  and  no  mother  will  consciously  produce  a 
crooked  and  deformed  body,  an  imbecile,  or  criminal  brain,  if 
it  is  in  her  power  to  prevent  it;  and  the  object  of  this  work 
is  to  teach  them  how  it  is  possible,  and  that  it  rests  entirely 
with  the  mothers. 

IMPERFECT   EDUCATION. 

"We  are  fee  lingr  our  way  about  this  corner  of  the  illimitable  world  a  little  bet- 
ter  endowed  with  the  machinery  of  sensation  than  the  protozoan."— Balfour. 

Upon  a  careful  investigation  as  to  the  increase  of  crime, 
it  will  be  found,  fundamentally,  in  the  imperfect  education 
of  the  prospective  mothers.  The  present  system  of  instruc- 
tion must  be  supplemented  by  an  education  which  will  enable 
the  coming  mothei  to  produce  more  desirable  citizens.  'Tis 
true  that  oui  public  and  private  schools  develop  the  masses 
who  are  born  good,  but  with  the  past  and  present  system  of 


IMPERFECT  EDUCATION.  105 

education  of  the  daughters  they  are  liable  to  become  the  pro- 
genitors of  vicious  and  criminal  offspring,  and  in  the  nature 
of  things,  to  bring  forth  the  average  number  of  blind  and 
maimed,  through  ignorance. 

There  is  a  great  need  of  an  education  which  will  stop  the 
birth  of  mental,  as  well  as  physical,  deformities.  Intelligent 
mothers  are  essential.  Intelligent,  not  in  the  sense  of  the 
present  day  higher  education,  but  in  the  sense  of  knowing 
their  duties  and  capabilities,  when  they  become  prospective 
mothers.  Teach  them  how  to  produce  good  brains  and  sound 
bodies.  Teach  them  God's  law,  which  will  govern  them, 
under  such  circumstances  and  while  they  are  in  such  a  con- 
dition, and  the  product  must  be  good. 


106  MATERXAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 


CHAPTER  X. 

EDUCATION  DOES  NOT  MAKE  THE  MAN. 

"From  the  hand  of  him  that  loves  her,  ere  she  sees  the  day,  the  soul  comes  like 
a  Dabe;  springing  from  her  blessed  Maker,  she  quickly  turns  to  that  which  yields 
her  joy."— Dante. 

The  statement  that  education  does  not  make  the  man,  will 
no  doubt  startle  some  who  have  always  held  that  idea.  But  the 
culminating  evidence  of  the  age  is,  that  education  cannot  do 
what  nature  has  practically  made  it  impossible  to  do,  which 
is,  to  educate  a  man  for  a  philosopher,  when  he  is  intended 
for  a  coal  heaver.  A  man  is  capable  of  making  himself,  just 
so  far  as  his  ability  is  able  to  overcome  the  weaknesses  which 
are  inborn. 

Dr.  Galton  says,  "I  have  no  patience  with  the  theory  often 
heard,  that  children  are  born  very  much  alike,  and  that  close 
application,  environment,  and  moral  efforts,  create  the  differ- 
ence in  men."  It  is  no  wonder  that  Dr.  Galtor^  should  lose 
patience.  Such  a  statement  has  no  foundation  in  fact.  Not 
a  teacher  but  knows  how  difficult  it  is  to  make  some  pupils 
comprehend  a  simple  proposition,  and  when  an  abstract  con- 
cept is  given,  the  average  scholar  is  dazed.  Upon  the  other 
hand,  there  are  some  pupils  who  are  receptive  at  every  pore; 
every  idea  is  at  once  mentally  digested ;  every  nod  a  lesson, 
and  each  hint  a  sermon.  Prof.  Seldon  said,  "No  man  is  wiser 
for  his  learning;  wit  and  wisdom  are  born  with  a  man." 
Maudsley  says,  "Education  cannot  make  a  Socrates,  or  a 
Shakespeare,  out  of  every  one."  And  Dr.  Magoun,  of  Iowa 


EDUCATION  DOES  XOT  MAKE  THE  MAN.  107 

College,  put  it  in  another  form,  when  he  said,  "We  can  teach 
a  person,  but  we  cannot  furnish  brains."  Take  a  number  of 
children  in  a  given  family,  and  from  birth  they  are  kept  in 
the  same  environment,  they  are  never  alike,  they  are  not  of 
the  same  mind  or  capability.  One  of  them  may  become  an 
artist,  another  a  mathematician,  the  next  a  blacksmith,  or  a 
preacher,  and  one  an  angel  of  mercy,  the  other  a  fiend  incar- 
nate. 

Look  at  the  average  audience  that  is  found  at  political 
meetings  and  in  the  various  lecture  rooms.  Its  mentality  is 
small.  When  put  to  the  test  to  prove  this  assertion  it  will 
only  be  necessary  to  note  how  many  will  express  satisfaction 
when  a  bright  and  witty  speaker,  who  is  full  of  sparkling 
anecdotes,  has  occupied  the  platform,  and  compare  the  opin- 
ions expressed  by  a  similar  audience,  when  a  deep  and  logical 
thinker  is  upon  the  same  rostrom;  how  few  will  praise  the 
latter  and  how  many  will  say,  "I  could  not  understand  the 
subject."  J.  Stuart  Mill  describes  the  masses  as  "Collective 
mediocrity."  It  has  been  said  that  man  is  like  an  instrument 
upon  which  is  plajred  many  variations,  with  staccato  and 
legato  movements,  some  harmonious,  and  others  out  of  time 
and  tune.  The  instrument,  man,  is  only  able  to  respond  to 
the  touch  of  the  player's  soul.  If  the  soul  is  of  a  low  order, 
then  only  mean  and  vulgar  harmonies  will  be  produced;  if, 
upon  the  contrary,  the  mind  and  soul  is  of  a  purer,  finer  cast, 
then  the  utterances  will  harmonize  with  God's  moral  laws, 
and  its  product  will  be  beneficial  to  itself  and  to  humanity. 
The  pressing  need  of  the  age  is  an  education  that  will  pre- 
pare the  young  for  actual  life.  That  is  the  burden  of  song 
of  all  the  educators  in  the  land,  but  it  must  include  the  rear- 
ing of  the  family  to  become  effective;  it  must  teach  the  pros- 
pective mother  how  to  produce  good  children.  This  most 
important  factor  has  been  neglected.  Neither  parents  or  the 
state  have  done  their  duty  on  that  line.  Questions  which  are 
important  have  been  neglected;  not  overlooked,  but  they  have 
been  steadily  ignored.  Some,  in  their  bigotry,  admit  the  fact 


108  MATER XAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

that  society  is  doing  wrong,  but  use  the  argument  of  the 
fatalist,  by  saying,  "It  has  always  been  so  and  it  always  will 
be."  It  is  in  this  manner  that  the  truth,  which  is  so  essential 
to  the  welfare  of  humanity,  is  hampered  by  ignorance. 

The  mysterious  in  the  material  universe  is  continually 
yielding  to  the  advance  of  the  investigator,  who  ever  goes 
forward,  from  one  truth  to  another,  from  a  simple  combina- 
tion to  a  more  complex  phenomena ;  and  eventually  out  of  the 
many  phases  of  nature,  learns  what  God  requires  that  man 
should  do  to  carry  out  His  will.  This  is  demanded  in  every 
Christian  organization,  and  the  bible  teaches  man  what  his 
duty  is.  Are  its  teachings  obeyed?  Has  the  Christian  world 
done  its  duty,  or  the  Christian  parent  done  his  duty  to  his 
own  family?  Not  one  parent  in  a  hundred  has  ever  taken  the 
pains  to  instruct  his  son  or  daughter  upon  the  important  law 
of  reproduction. 

Those  who  are  competent,  by  their  researches,  to  enlighten 
mankind,  are  in  duty  bound  to  do  so,  at  least  to  those  of  their 
own  household  and  faith.  Those  who  stand  in  the  way,  and 
by  their  foolish  and  silly  notions  hinder  the  work,  should  be 
sent  to  the  rear;  treated  as  stumbling  blocks  in  the  cause  of 
humanity.  The  purpose  of  the  entire  educational  system  as 
it  is  carried  on  in  public  as  well  as  private  schools,  and  col- 
leges, is  fundamentally  self -preservation,  for  the  well-being 
of  the  individual,  and  preservation  of  social  order.  Educa- 
tion should  not  only  protect  society  from  general  ignorance, 
but  also  from  that  ignorance  which  is  displayed  in  the  pro- 
duction of  children  who  are  criminals,  insane,  and  deformed. 
That  it  must  eventually  be  done  there  can  be  no  question,  as 
the  birth  of  these  classes  is  increasing.  It  remains  for  the 
present  generation  to  say  whether  it  will  begin  a  reformation 
on  that  line,  or  leave  it  for  posterity,  and  thus  let  their  chil- 
dren and  their  children's  children  suffer,  as  the  body  politic 
is  now  suffering,  from  the  effects  of  ignorance. 

Some  say  that  it  is  a  delicate  subject,  but  that  is  not  a 
good  reason  why  it  should  be  avoided.  Nothing  is  gained  by 


EDUCATION  DOES  NOT  MAKE  THE  MAN.  109 

mystifying  and  ingeniously  evading  it,  which  only  encourages 
unsatisfied  curiosity,  when  a  little  plain,  wholesome  truth 
would  set  it  at  rest.  Upon  the  mother  devolves  the  task  of 
imparting  the  information.  She  is  the  safest  guide  for  her 
children. 

It  must  be  conceded  that  during  all  healthy  life  the  repro- 
ductive passion  obtrudes  itself  unbidden,  and  with  more  or 
less  force.  In  its  explanation,  treat  it  as  you  would  the  study 
of  botany;  as  a  process  of  nature,  and  that  it  should  be  held 
within  bounds  of  and  governed  by,  the  laws  of  decency.  In- 
nate differences  of  sex  will  assert  themselves.  Education 
should  not  attempt  to  thwart  them,  as  is  often  done  in  the 
family,  when  the  child  asks  a  question  on  that  line,  but  it 
should  be  explained,  and  thus  enhance  that  which  is  so  essen- 
tial to  a  nobler  manhood.  Counteract  the  fashionable  novel 
by  sound  instruction,  and  in  that  way  shape  the  career  of 
those  who  are  abnormally  developed.  It  can  be  done  in  such 
a  manner  as  not  to  grate  harshly  upon  the  ears  of  the  most 
sensitive,  and  the  aim  of  this  work  is  to  make  the  subject 
plain,  without  using  language  that  will  offend. 

We  have  no  patience  with  the  training  which  permits 
boys  and  girls  to  grow  up  in  ignorance  of  themselves,  save  as 
they  learn  from  each  other.  Neither  have  we  any  patience 
with  parents  who  wrap  the  mantle  of  prudery  and  ignorance 
around  each  other,  ignoring  their  duty  to  their  children,  to 
society,  and  to  their  God. 

It  would  be  better  for  young  men  and  women  to  be  cogni- 
zant of  the  dangers  on  the  line  of  sex  relation,  in  order  to  be 
able  to  avoid  them,  than  to  grow  up  in  ignorance  of  them- 
selves, by  guessing  among  themselves.  It  would  be  better 
for  our  children  to  be  correctly  informed  in  regard  to  the 
dangers  on  that  line,  than  to  grow  up  ignorant,  with  the 
chance  of  becoming  victims  through  such  ignorance.  The 
question  of  reproduction  is  not  the  motive  and  sole  aim  of 
life,  but  it  mingles  with  and  influences  all  motives  and  aims, 
and  it  is  inseparable  from  our  existence,  but  it  should  be 


110  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

held  in  subjection.  To  underrate  its  influence  is  a  great 
mistake. 

If  society  keeps  on  in  its  present  system  of  education; 
that  is,  refusing  to  educate  the  children  properly  upon  the 
line  of  reproduction,  crime  and  consequent  misery  will  in- 
crease. There  should  be  good  reasons  for  neglecting  to  teach 
our  children  what  God  requires. 

Here  and  there  a  student  of  criminology  says  that  "Mor- 
ality and  crime  are  accidents  of  birth."  To  this  the  answer 
is,  that  nature  never  does  anything  accidental.  The  difficulty 
lies  in  the  fact  that  man  has  not  studied  the  truths  which  are 
all  around  him.  What  should  be  taught,  is  the  truth,  and 
what  is  needed  is  the  ability  to  distinguish  truth  from  false- 
hood. A  careful  study  of  facts  will  eliminate  the  false  from 
the  true,  and  when  that  is  done  there  is  always  an  advance. 

The  subject  of  maternal  impressions  is  one  of  deepest  in- 
terest to  every  human  being,  and  it  will  be  of  lasting  benefit 
to  the  welfare  of  posterity.  The  importance  of  its  study 
cannot  be  overestimated,  as  its  operation  is  closely  interwoven 
into  the  very  warp  and  woof  of  our  social  life;  important  to 
each  parent  and  expectant  parent,  as  the  welfare  of  those  who 
are  nearest  and  dearest  to  them  is  at  stake,  and  which  con- 
cerns all  mankind. 

Some  minds  refuse  to  be  influenced  by  their  environment. 
It  is  as  if  they  were  bound  with  bands  of  steel  within  a  cer- 
tain line  of  thought  and  action,  and  in  spite  of  influences 
thrown  around  them  to  turn  them  in  the  right  direction,  per- 
sist in  following  their  own  inclinations.  This  is  only  in 
obedience  to  a  great  law  of  nature — the  law  of  maternal  im- 
pression— "As  the  mind  of  the  mother  is  at  the  time  the 
brain  structure  of  the  child  is  being  formed,  so  will  the  child 
be" — which  law  is  universal  and  unchangeable.  The  history 
of  the  world  and  the  observation  of  all  who  have  studied  the 
problem,  verifies  this  truth. 

A  notable  instance  is  the  case  of  Martin  Luther,  the  great 
reformer,  and  the  hero  of  the  reformation,  known  in  history 


EDUCATION  DOES  NOT  MAKE  THE  MAX.  Ill 

as  "The  little  brown  monk."  His  parents  tried  to  make  a 
lawyer  out  of  him,  but,  filled  with  piety  and  benevolence, 
with  a  sturdy  opinion  of  what  he  thought  was  the  truth, 
which  held  him  to  the  idea  of  a  monkish  life,  preaching  and 
praying  to  save  sinners  from  the  wrath  to  come;  and  no 
amount  of  persuasion  on  the  part  of  his  parents  or  friends, 
could  influence  him  from  that  which  he  considered  his  duty. 

Richard  Wagner's  parents  intended  to  educate  him  for  a 
minister  of  the  gospel,  but  to  no  purpose.  His  brain  was 
constructed  upon  harmonic  lines,  and  his  thoughts  were  lifted, 
because  of  the  brain  structure,  to  a  higher  and  grander  musical 
plane  than  had  ever  been  reached  by  any  other  composer.  Ed- 
ucators are  finding  out  that  it  is  impossible  to  teach  a  person 
good  morals  whose  brains  are  defective ;  that  humanity  varies 
greatly  in  its  response  to  the  same  stimulus;  thus  indicating 
various  characteristics  of  organism. 

There  is  not  a  community  in  this  broad  land,  but  that 
among  its  members  can  be  found  instances  of  what  some  call 
a  perverted  mind.  Oh,  no!  it  is  not  a  perverted  mind,  it  is 
simply  doing  that,  or  preferring  that,  for  which  its  brain  is 
best  adapted,  and  in  the  attempt  to  make  a  preacher,  or  a 
watchmaker,  out  of  what  is  intended  for  a  section  hand  or  a 
well  digger,  is  an  attempt  to  subvert  nature,  and  the  result  is 
failure.  It  is  like  trying  to  fit  a  round  peg  into  a  square  hole. 
To  elevate  and  ennoble  the  race,  the  mothers  must  be  sancti- 
fied; sanctified  in  the  sense  that  she  must  be  taught  her  pow- 
ers and  capabilities,  as  well  as  her  duty  to  herself,  her  off- 
spring, and  society. 

The  uselessness  of  trying  to  teach,  or  instill,  ideas  that 
are  to  be  permanent,  into  a  brain  which  is  by  nature  created 
upon  a  different  line,  is  well  illustrated  by  an  anecdote  of  two 
scientists  who  were  discussing  the  question:  "Which  is  the 
strongest,  nature  or  art?"  The  one  who  contended  that 
education  could  overcome  natural  instincts,  and  that  art  was 
the  most  powerful,  to  prove  his  position  said:  "I  have  a  cat, 
in  whom  I  have  so  overcome  her  nature,  that  she  will,  at  my 


112  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

bidding,  sit  upon  her  haunches,  and  hold  a  candle  for  me  to 
read  by."  The  scientist  who  held  that  nature  was  more  pow- 
erful, in  reply  said:  "That  is  good  evidence,  I  will  call  and 
see  that  cat."  A  few  days  later  he  called,  with  a  covered  dish 
under  his  arm,  and  placed  it  upon  the  table.  The  cat  was 
called  and  ordered  to  hold  the  candle.  It  did  so,  and  while 
in  that  position  the  cover  was  taken  from  the  dish  and  three 
mice  jumped  out  of  it;  the  cat  dropped  the  candle  and  chased 
the  mice,  clearly  proving  that  nature  (the  cat's  nature  to 
catch  mice),  was  stronger  than  art. 

The  old  adage  is  applicable:  "You  can  lead  a  horse  to 
water,  but  you  cannot  make  him  drink."  You  cannot  teach 
a  man  that  which  is  good  unless  his  brains  are  properly  con- 
structed, and  that  must  be  done  before  birth. 


FAITH  IN  HUMAN  PROGRESS.  1 13 


CHAPTER  XI. 

FAITH  IN  HUMAN  PROGRESS. 
"My  belief  is  not  to  be  moved,  it  should  be  compelled."— Romanes. 

We  may  have  a  great  deal  of  faith  in  human  progress,  but 
how,  or  by  what  process  can  man  be  reformed,  under  present 
social  conditions,  is  the  question  uppermost  in  the  minds  of 
all  workers  in  the  cause  of  humanity.  This  is  the  fundamen- 
tal principle  which  pervades  that  great  organization,  the  W. 
C.  T.  U.  and  its  auxiliaries.  It  is  the  power  behind  the  Chris- 
tian church  with  its  ramifications  extending  over  all  heathen, 
as  well  as  civilized  lands.  It  is  the  principle  which  forces  the 
state  to  endow  colleges,  support  public  schools  and  eleemosy- 
nary institutions.  It  gives  strength  and  stability  to  all  secret 
orders  whose  object  is  to  relieve  and  assist  its  members  and 
their  families.  In  short,  it  is  the  impelling  force  behind  all 
work  done  to  uplift,  and  which  is  intended  to  benefit  mankind. 

But  many  good  citizens  are  bewailing  the  fact  that  some- 
thing is  lacking;  that  there  is  a  factor  at  work  which  is  hind- 
ering moral  progress;  and  the  work  of  the  various  organiza- 
tions mentioned  is  not  rewarded  by  that  success  commensurate 
to  the  efforts  put  forth.  There  is  a  demand  for  something 
that  will  stay  the  tide  of  evil  in  the  land.  What  this  some- 
thing is,  and  the  method  by  which  the  evil  can  be  overcome, 
is  the  object  sought  to  be  accomplished  in  this  work. 

Judge  Hewey,  in  a  recent  decision,  said,  "Until  we  learn, 
as  a  people,  that  there  are  things  of  more  value  to  individuals 
and  nations  than  material  wealth,  crime  will  increase." 


114  AfATEfcXAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

Some  very  good  people  believe,  that  the  gospel  will  do  the 
work  for  the  human  dregs  which  lie  at  the  bottom  of  society, 
a  work  that  nature  has  failed  to  do  for  them ;  failed  because 
of  somebody's  neglect  to  follow  God's  law  of  procreation. 
The  experience  of  the  past  proves  that  "something  more  po- 
tent," must  transpire.  They  must  be  born  with  the  ability 
to  comprehend  the  teachings  of  the  Saviour,  which  will  en- 
able them  to  accept  the  sermon  on  the  mount ;  to  understand 
when  they  are  taught  the  precepts  which  are  in  the  bible. 
Unless  they  have  an  understanding  mind,  in  other  words,  the 
proper  brain  soil,  which  endows  them  with  such  ability,  to 
understand  moral  teaching,  all  moral  teaching  will  be  in  vain. 
It  would  be  like  talking  Greek  to  an  Apache  warrior.  'Tis 
not  only  necessary  that  children  should  be  educated,  but  they 
should  be  born  with  a  capacity  to  imbibe  education  which 
will  elevate  them. 

Your  belief,  your  piety,  or  your  sincerity,  will  not  alter 
facts  or  change  the  laws  of  God.  If,  in  the  sacred  bonds  of 
marriage,  you  put  the  ingredients — impure  action,  a  morbid 
and  licentious  mind,  a  corrupt  and  diseased  body — the  product 
will  not  be  to  your  liking;  as  you  have  not  used  a  correct 
formula,  the  result  will  be  a  bad  product.  The  same  thing 
would  happen  if  impure  number  three  wheat  were  put  upon 
poor  soil,  and  not  properly  harvested.  There  would  be  many 
burs  and  thistles,  with  a  small  quantity  of  poor  grain;  noth- 
ing else  could  be  expected.  Nature  would  be  false  to  the 
great  law  of  "Like  produces  like,"  which  is  as  certain  as  the 
earth's  revolution ;  as  sure  as  there  is  an  overruling  Provi- 
dence. If  your  bodies  are  corrupt,  you  can  be  certain  your 
child's  body  will  be  diseased.  Can  you  expect,  if  your  mind 
is  corrupt,  that  your  child's  brain  will  be  pure? 

There  are  some  who  talk  about  blind  nature.  Oh,  no! 
Nature  is  not  blind.  Her  acts  are  the  decrees  of  an  all-wise 
and  unchangeable  force,  directed  by  "Him  who  holds  the 
waters  of  the  sea  in  the  hollow  of  his  hands."  It  is  ignorant 
man  who  is  blind;  and  he  has  neglected  to  note  the  truths 


FAITH  IN  H  I'M  AX  PROGRESS.  115 

that  are  so  thickly  strewn  around  him.  Helen  Gardiner  says: 
"Many  parents  have  transmitted  evil  tendencies  to  their  fallen 
daughter;  a  tendency  to  commit  acts  which  they  whine  about 
as  tarnishing  the  family  honor.  If  they  had  tied  her,  hand 
and  foot,  and  thrown  her  into  the  river,  and  expected  her  to 
save  herself,  they  would  not  have  been  more  truly  responsi- 
ble." 

The  comparatively  few  optimistic  humanitarians  who  are 
looking  at  man's  present  and  future,  hoping  and  praying  that 
something  outside  of  and  beyond  the  power  of  man,  will 
happen;  something  transcendental  or  supernatural,  will  be 
done;  in  some  occult  manner  transform  and  prepare  man- 
kind for  a  future  state  of  glory.  Such  persons  are  stumbling 
blocks  in  the  way  of  the  elevation  of  mankind;  they  are 
clogs  upon  the  wheels  of  progress.  Many  persons  wonder  at 
what  they  are  pleased  to  call  the  decrees  of  God;  fold  their 
hands  and  neglect  to  study  the  truths  of  nature. 

Cowper  says:  "Truths  on  which  depend  our  main  concern; 
that  'tis  our  shame  and  misery  not  to  learn,  shine  by  the  side 
of  every  path  we  tread,  with  such  a  lustre  that  he  who  runs 
may  read."  Then  Providence  is  blamed,  not  in  words,  but  in 
deeds,  by  refusing  to  study  God's  laws.  They  simply  hope 
that  something  will  do  what  only  action  in  harmony  with  the 
laws  of  an  overruling  Providence  can  do.  They  are  so  blind 
as  to  accept  conditions  as  they  find  them,  and  in  the  abstract 
they  believe  that  "Whatever  is,  is  right,"  and  make,  as  it  is 
said,  the  best  of  it. 

Carry  the  same  idea  into  the  study  of  God's  moral  laws, 
and  there  would  be  no  churches  and  no  Christians.  It  is  as 
much  our  duty  to  study  His  laws  on  the  line  of  reproduction 
as  upon  the  line  of  morality.  They  are  inseparably  linked,  and 
one  of  these  laws  cannot  be  disobeyed  without  a  violation  of 
the  other.  That  is  to  say,  impure  physical  or  mental  action 
implies  a  violation  of  moral  law.  Do  you  suppose  that  God 
will  bless  you  with  offspring  who  are  better  than  others,  if 
you  violate  His  laws  as  do  other  parents?  Oh,  no!  If  you 


116  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

think  so,  you  are  presuming  too  much,  and  you  will  surely  be 
disappointed. 

"Nature  is  merciless."  There  is  another  false  and  mis- 
leading idea,  which  is,  that  everything  is  as  ordered  by 
divine  will.  Such  an  idea  is  a  species  of  middle  age  super- 
stition; as  is  the  expression:  "The  world  is  about  such  a 
world  as  its  creator  intended  it  to  be" — and  is  on  a  line  with 
the  remark.  "It  is  none  of  my  business,  nor  is  it  my  fault, 
that  men  and  women  choose,  generation  after  generation,  to 
lead  evil  and  sinful  lives,  which  produce  so  much  misery. 
Each  and  all  of  these  conceptions  are  in  their  essence  selfish, 
and  are  but  another  form  of  the  expression,  "I  am  not  my 
brother's  keeper."  He  who  holds  such  ideas — and  there  are 
many  of  them — figuratively  folds  his  hands,  with  a  self-satis- 
fied air,  forgetting,  or  is  ignorant  of  the  fact,  that  his  birth 
was  not  a  special  act  of  nature  by  which  he  was  introduced; 
that  he  is  well-born  is  not  to  be  credited  to  him.  It  is  possi- 
ble that  one  may  be  able  to  point  to  such  a  person's  own 
brother  or  sister,  who  may  be  endowed  with  depraved  tastes, 
or  who  may  be  a  criminal  or  idiotic.  But  such  an  individual 
rests  contented  with  the  idea  that  it  is  God's  will,  and  he 
thinks  he  has  nothing  to  do  but  to  look  after  his  own  welfare, 
and  prays,  "I  thank  Thee,  Oh  Lord,  that  I  am  not  as  other 
men."  Such  arguments  and  conclusions,  if  believed  by  the 
majority  of  mankind,  would  arrest  all  intellectual  progress. 
Its  tendency  would  be  to  retard  the  elevation  of  humanity. 
There  would  be  a  "Reversion  to  type,"  a  retrograde  move- 
ment, so  far  as  the  moral  and  mental  part  of  man  is  concerned. 

Every  person  is  a  product  of  certain  conditions,  about 
which  the  individual  had  nothing  to  say.  All  are  born  with 
certain  defects  for  which  they  are  not  responsible.  Every 
brain  structure  is  nature's  field,  the  mother  is  the  agent  who 
prepares  the  soil;  environment  sows  the  seeds  of  thought, 
and  the  crop  depends  upon  the  quality  of  the  soil.  If  the 
soil  is  barren,  the  crop  of  ideas  will  be  poor.  No  man  knows 
what  he  is  capable  of  under  given  circumstances.  Until  he 


FAITH  IN  HUMAN  PROGRESS.  117 

has  been  tempted  he  does  not  know  his  strength  or  weakness ; 
until  then,  and  then  only,  can  he  praise  himself. 

The  optimistic  humanitarian  may  close  his  eyes,  and,  like 
the  ostrich,  hide  his  head,  so  that  he  cannot  see  the  enemy 
who  is  stalking  toward  him ;  but  the  wise  man  will  look  at 
the  facts,  and  courageously  seek  to  better  the  conditions.  He 
will  not  sit  with  folded  hands,  hoping  or  expecting  that  some 
new  experiment  of  an  enterprising  providence  will  do  for 
him  what,  under  the  benign  laws  of  God,  man  can  do  for 
himself;  and  it  seems  sacrilegious,  it  is  surely  superstitious, 
to  expect  that  God  will  alter  or  retard  the  operation  of  His 
laws,  to  accommodate  those  who  have  violated  them. 


118  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIONS. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

RESPONSIBILITY. 

["Accountability,"  is  the  title  of  one  of  the  most  delightfully  humorous  poems 
in  "Lyrics  of  Lowly  Life,"  the  collected  verses  of  Paul  Lawrence  Dunbar,  the 
negro  poet  whom  Mr.  Howells  has  recently  "discovered."] 

Folks  ain't  got  no  right  to  censuah  othah  folks  about  dey  habits; 
Him  dat  giv'  de  squir'ls  de  bushtails  made  de  bobtails  fu'  de  rabbits. 
Him  dat  built  de  great  big  mountains  hollered  out  de  little  valleys, 
Him  dat  made  de  streets  an'  driveways  wasn't  'shamed  to  make  de  alleys. 

We  is  all  constructed  diff'ent,  d' ain't  no  two  of  us  de  same; 
We  cain't  he'p  ouah  likes  an*  dislikes,  ef  we's  bad  we  ain't  to  blame. 
Ef  we's  good,  we  needn't  show  off,  'case  you  bet  it  ain't  ouah  doin', 
We  gits  into  cu'ttain  channels  dat  we  jes*  cain't  he'p  pu'suin*. 

But  we  all  fits  into  places  dat  no  othah  ones  could  fill, 
An'  we  does  de  things  we  has  to,  big  er  little,  good  er  ill. 
John  cain't  tek  de  place  o'  Henry,  Sue  an"  Sally  ain't  alike; 
Bass  ain't  nothin'  like  a  sukah,  chub  ain't  noihin*  like  a  pike. 

When  you  come  to  think  about  it,  how  it's  all  planned  out,  it's  splendid. 
Nuthin's  done  er  evah  happens,  d'out  hit's  somefln'  dat's  intended; 
Don't  keer  whut  you  does,  you  has  to,  an'  hit  sholy  beats  de  dickens — 
Viney,  go  put  on  de  kettle,  I  got  one  o'  mastah's  chickens. 

It  is  well  known  to  students  of  mental  diseases,  that  a 
person  of  depraved  habits  has  an  abnormal  or  deficient  brain; 
that  is,  he  is  deficient  in  moral  will-power.  As  all  mental  action 
is  caused  by  brain  action,  it  is  perfectly  logical  to  assert  that 
he  lacks  the  brain  substance  with  which  to  overcome  the  ab- 
normity or  the  mental  disease.  Why  did  nature,  in  the  case 
of  a  mentally  diseased  person,  produce  an  unbalanced  brain? 
Because  the  mother's  mind  was  morally  deficient,  and  her 
thoughts  interfered  with  the  process,  during  the  development 
of  the  structure,  which  otherwise  would  have  brought  a  nor- 


RESPONSIBILITY.  119 


mal  brain  into  existence.  If  immoral  ideas  occupied  her 
mind  for  a  short  period  only,  or  she  was  very  strongly  im- 
pressed with  them  momentarily,  then  the  victim  will  have 
periodical  attacks  of  what  may  be  called  a  mania  to  do  wrong. 
(  See  the  case  of  a  prominent  man  under  head  of  "Criminal- 
ity," chapter  29.  ) 

If  the  mother's  mind  lingered  upon,  and  she  delighted  to 
indulge  in  immoral  acts,  then  her  child  would  necessarily  be 
immoral  at  all  times.  "Like  must  beget  like."  Is  a  person 
who  is  the  product  of  such  a  mother,  responsible  for  aberra- 
tions which  society  calls  sin,  or  which  are  punished  as  crimes? 
Does  such  an  one  deserve  human  or  divine  punishment?  And 
does  it  make  any  difference,  as  to  the  responsibility  of  the 
individual,  whether  the  tendency  came  from  a  near  or  remote 
ancestor?  To  all  of  these  questions  we  would  say,  no!  Nor 
was  the  individual  conscious  of  its  mental  condition  while  its 
mother  was  constructing  the  brain,  and  it  was  totally  ignorant 
of  the  effect  upon  its  life  and  character.  It  was  no  more 
aware  of  it  than  a  dog  could  know  or  prevent  the  formation 
of  a  brain  which  would  endow  it  with  the  instincts  of  a  dog; 
it  had  no  choice  in  its  make-up.  Neither  can  the  individual 
organism  change  its  natural  character.  It  is  true,  it  can,  by 
its  environment,  subdue,  or  cover  up,  as  it  were,  its  mental 
deformities,  providing  it  is  conscious  of  its  weakness. 

Is  there  anything  accidental  or  unnatural  in  the  impulse 
to  do  wrong,  or  the  desire  to  do  right?  Decidedly  not  !  But 
there  are  some  who  say  that  the  instinct  to  do  right  was  im- 
planted by  the  "Grace  of  God,"  and  that  the  desire  to  do 
wrong  is  caused  by  the  malice  of  satan. 

The  logic  of  such  a  position  places  the  responsibility  upon 
an  all-wise  and  overruling  Providence,  and  it  cannot  be  main- 
tained by  any  logical  argument  which  will  stand  the  test  of 
analysis.  Society  rids  itself  of  responsibility  by  such  sophis- 
try ;  closes  its  eyes  and  folds  its  arms,  seemingly  unconscious 
of  the  fact  that  the  fault  lies  in  our  social  system,  viz:  a  lack  . 
of  the  proper  education  of  the  coming  mothers,  and  society 


120  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

shifts  the  responsibility  upon  the  ruler  of  the  universe. 
Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  said:  "Society  finds  that  it  is  easier 
to  hang  a  troublesome  fellow;  consign  a  soul  to  perdition,  or 
save  it  by  saying  masses,  than  to  blame  itself  or  to  make  the 
proper  effort  for  improvement." 

We  recognize  bodily  defects,  as  well  as  defects  of  the  in- 
tellect, and  know  at  once  whether  a  person  is  bright  or  dull, 
capable  or  incapable  of  reasoning,  but  never  think  of  the 
moral  power;  whether  the  individual  has  the  brain  power  to 
resist  the  temptation  to  do  wrong.  Some  men  are  so  consti- 
tuted that  they  have  no  knowledge  or  sense  of  right  and 
wrong. 

Dr.  Thomson  says:  "Habitual  criminals  are  without  moral 
sense.  They  are  true  moral  imbeciles  in  the  presence  of 
temptation;  they  have  no  self-control  against  criminal  acts. 
....  Out  of  five  hundred  murderers  that  I  have  known, 

only  three  of  them  ever  experienced  any  remorse On 

a  close  acquaintance  of  eighteen  years  with  criminals,  I  con- 
sider nine  out  of  ten  are  of  inferior  intellect.  Their  inferiority 
is  occasioned  by  a  mental  weakness,  owing  to  defective  devel- 
opment." 

Maudsley,  in  his  work,  "Responsibility  in  Mental  Diseas- 
es," says:  "Take  the  case  of  'Burton,'  a  youth  of  eighteen, 
tried  for  murder  in  England  in  1863,  who  said  he  had  a  desire 

to  kill  some  one The  first  person  he  met  was  a  boy, 

whom  he  knocked  down  and  then  cut  his  throat.  When  he 
was  sentenced  to  death  by  Justice  Whightman,  the  prisoner 
said,  'Thank  you,  my  Lord.'  He  was  an  instinctive  murderer, 
as  is  a  tiger  instinctively  blood-thirsty." 

Note  the  case  of  Thomas  Wainwright,  the  poet  and  writer, 
who  was  convicted  of  murder  in  Philadelphia.  There  were 
no  criminals  or  lunatics  among  his  ancestors;  he  was  the 
companion  of  poets,  philosophers,  and  musicians;  a  journalist 
and  author.  As  to  his  moral  character,  it  was  of  the  lowest 
stamp;  a  moral  imbecile;  an  instinctive  criminal.  Scientists 
called  him  a  "Congenital  criminal."  He  was  asked,  "How 


RESPONSIBILITY.  121 


could  you  kill  Helen  Abercrombie?"  his  reputed  wife.  He 
answered,  "Upon  my  soul,  I  do  not  know." 

Various  criminals  said  to  Lombroso,  the  Italian  crimiiiol- 
ogist:  "There  are  times  when  we  cannot  restrain  ourselves; 
we  must  steal." 

A  man  aged  sixty  was  confined  for  criminal  assault  upon 
a  child  eight  years  old.  He  said  his  prayers  while  in  jail, 
morning  and  evening,  and  complained  that  some  of  the 
other  prisoners  shocked  him  with  their  profanity. 

Martha  L.  Clarke,  who  is  matron  of  an  eastern  reforma- 
tory says  of  a  boy  in  her  charge:  "Some  day  he  will  commit 
murder,  though  he  is  no  more  responsible  than  is  the  dog 
who  knows  it  is  wrong  to  bite,  but  does  it." 

Prof.  Serge,  in  describing  a  boy-murderer,  says:  "Nothing 
is  acquired  by  education;  everything  is  congenital;  his  father 
and  mother  were  sober  people;  he  was  not  untruthful,  had  no 
vices.  When  fifteen  years  old  he  sat  by  his  sister,  who  was 
ten  years  old;  a  hammer  lay  at  his  feet,  he  took  it  up  and 
crushed  her  skull." 

The  common  excuse  for  the  commission  of  murder,  is 
either  avarice,  revenge,  jealousy  or  partizan  motive.  Holmes 
said,  in  his  confession,  the  impelling  force  was  "An  inborn 
desire  to  kill;"  it  was  his  "Dominant  passion."  He  killed  for 
the  pleasure  of  killing.  And  the  theory  that  men  are  good 
or  bad,  or  are  indifferent,  according  to  their  education,  falls 
to  the  ground,  in  this,  as  well  as  many  other  immoral  acts. 

Nor  does  the  theory  of  heredity  hold  good.  Referring  to 
Holmes,  who  had  killed  eight  persons,  his  father  and  grand- 
father were  honest  New  Hampshire  farmers;  born  on  the 
same  farm,  and  left  an  enviable  record  for  honesty  and  simple 
goodness.  His  progenitors  on  his  mother's  side  were  of 
Christian  habits.  Holmes  was  an  entire  contradiction  of  her- 
edity and  atavism.  Neither  of  those  theories  account  for 
some  of  the  darkest  crimes  in  history.  Referring  to  the  case 
of  Jesse  Pomeroy,  the  fourteen  year  old  murderer,  it  was  a 
direct  contradiction  of  heredity.  His  parentage  was  good. 


122  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

His  father  was  a-  butcher,  and  his  mother  at  the  trial  testified 
that  before  his  birth  she  loved  to  go  to  the  slaughter  house 
to  see  them  kill  the  cattle — delighted  to  see  the  blood  flow. 
There  is  no  doubt  but  that  maternal  impression  was  the  main 
factor  in  his  case. 

All  investigation  in  the  cause  of  criminality  lead  to  the 
same  conclusion — "That  the  impulse  to  commit  crime  is  con- 
genital"— that  is,  it  is  inborn.  ''They  are  unable  to  restrain 
themselves  from  committing  the  crime."  Why?  Because 
the  criminal's  brain  is  abnormally  developed.  Their  nature 
is  to  steal  or  murder,  and  they  do  not  stop  to  think  of  the 
penalty.  They  lack  a  sentiment  of  wrong,  though  with  a 
clear  perception  of  it.  You  might  as  well  expect  to  kill  a 
crop  of  weeds  growing  in  your  garden  by  cutting  off  a  few 
of  the  flowers,  as  to  expect  to  eradicate  criminal  inclinations 
which  are  ingrained  into  the  very  warp  and  woof  of  the 
nature  of  men  who  are  born  with  a  desire  to  commit  crime. 

"There  are  wolfish  natures,  whose  instinct  is  to  leap  and 
devour.  To  such  men  mercy  is  a  mockery,  and  humanity  a 
name  for  food.  They  are  the  cannibals  of  civilized  life,  and 
live  upon  their  fellows."  An  attempt  to  reason  with  them  is 
as  futile  as  to  argue  with  a  crazy  man. 

When  a  man  has  become  a  thief  through  environment; 
that  is,  has  been  educated  and  trained  by  some  "Fagan,"  he 
may  become  penitent  and  converted,  and  through  a  change  of 
environment  overcome  his  acquired  habits,  providing  his 
natural  inclinations  are  honest.  But  if  naturally  honest  it  is 
doubtful  as  to  whether  the  "Fagans"  would  have  spent  much 
time  with  him,  as  they  would  quickly  discover  whether  he 
would  take  to  thieving  naturally  or  not.  A  teacher  very  soon 
discovers  the  leading  traits  in  any  pupil  that  is  in  his  charge. 
"Lunatics  and  criminals  are  manufactured,  as  are  steam  en- 
gines or  clothes."  But  the  process  is  more  complex,  and  we 
are  unable  to. study  it  as  we  can  the  manufacture  of  an  article 
for  the  use  of  man.  The  engine  is  made  by  the  skill  of  man; 
the  criminal  by  an  operation  of  a  law  of  nature;  had  the  law 


RESPOXSIBILITY.  123 


been  obeyed,  or  had  it  not  been  obstructed,  a  normal  intellect 
would  have  been  the  result,  and  heredity  would  have  played 
its  part  in  the  development  of  the  brain  structure. 

No  student  of  mental  diseases  has  any  doubt  that  the 
cause  of  criminality  is  largely  the  effect  of  disorder  of  a 
bodily  organ,  viz:  The  brain;  no  matter  what  opinion  there 
may  be,  pro  or  con,  in  regard  to  what  the  mind  is,  or  its  na- 
ture; that  is  not  the  subject  under  discussion.  Mental  dis- 
orders are  the  result  of  nervous  conditions,  and  they  are  con- 
nected with  the  nervous  sj'stem,  whose  seat  is  in  the  brain. 

"A  man  thinks,  feels,  desires  and  acts  according  to  the 
anatomical  construction  of  his  brain."  Dr.  Mclntyre,  upon 
"Insanity  and  heredity,"  says:  "The  ego  is  directly  influ- 
enced by  parental  thought  and  action  prior  to  its  birth,  and 

the  insane  person  is  irresponsible  for  his  condition 

The  modern  spirit  of  unrest  is  an  evidence  of  insanity  in 
society,  caused  by  thoughts,  impulses,  and  actions  in  vogue 
before  this  generation  was  born." 

The  last  paragraph  shows  that  Dr.  Mclntyre  had  an  ink- 
ling, at  least,  of  the  idea  of  maternal  impression,  but  not  a 
line  can  be  found  where  he  states  the  fact.  He  ascribes  it 
all  to  heredity. 

As  we  look  at  our  present  social  system,  the  question  nat- 
urally arises,  Will  it  not  be  worse  in  the  next  generation?  It 
is  impossible  to  answer  this  metaphysical  question  correctly, 
and  therefore  useless  to  waste  any  time  over  it. 

It  has  been  said  in  criticism  of  Dr.  Mclntyre's  statement, 
that  "This  is  carrying  the  law  of  heredity  too  far,  and  he  is 
confounding  it  with  the  law  of  evolution."  A  careful  study 
of  the  law  of  evolution  and  the  law  of  heredity  forces  one  to 
the  conclusion  that  heredity  is  only  one  phase  of,  and  is  based 
upon,  evolution.  Heredity  is  evolution  with  variations, 
caused  by  environment,  and  environment  naturally  includes 
the  mother's  mental  condition;  or,  to  state  it  in  another  form, 
environment  induces  the  mother's  notions,  her  likes  and  dis- 
likes. Such  mental  changes  on  the  part  of  the  mother  warps 


124  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

or  twists,  adds  to  or  takes  from,  retards  or  increases  the  brain 
structure  of  her  prospective  child,  thus  shaping  it  in  accord- 
ance with  her  moods  and  tenses. 

Dr.  Mclntyre's  critics  admit  that  insanity  is  imperfectly 
understood,  and  they  have  no  facts  upon  which  to  base  their 
objections.  Then  how  unfair  it  is  to  say  that  maternal  im- 
pression is  not  a  factor  in  insanity,  when  there  is  no  evidence 
to  offset  the  argument;  when  the  facts  are  favorable  to  the 
theory.  At  least  they  seem  to  be  facts  by  the  continued 
repetition  of  the  phenomena. 

The  only  argument  which  is  brought  to  bear  by  the  op- 
posers  of  maternal  impression  is,  that  it  frees  the  individual 
from  the  responsibility  of  his  actions,  and  destroys  his  will; 
makes  him  a  mere  machine.  No!  Not  a  mere  machine.  He 
wills  to  do  as  he  does,  because  his  will  is  controlled  by  his 
organism ;  as  he  wills  to  cover  his  body  to  protect  him  from 
cold;  as  he  wills  to  eat  certain  foods,  because  he  likes  them; 
and  as  he  wills  not  to  drink  particular  liquids,  only  because 
his  organism  does  not  relish  them.  Nor  can  he  help  it  if  it 
makes  him  sick  to  eat  cheese  or  honey. 

In  one  sense  it  does  destroy  his  free  will.  His  brain 
structure  being  abnormal,  that  is,  in  an  insane  person.  It 
frees  him  from  the  moral  responsibility  of  his  acts,  and  this 
fact  is  widely  recognized  in  every  civilized  land,  by  the  care 
which  is  taken  of  the  imbeciles.  But  it  does  not  free  him 
from  his  responsibility  to  society.  This  fact  is  also  recognized 
by  the  restraint  which  the  state  puts  upon  those  who  are 
weak-minded  and  demented.  Neither  is  a  wild  animal  re- 
sponsible for  its  acts,  because  it  is  its  nature,  placed  there  by 
an  all-wise  creator.  But  man  says  that  a  wild  cat  or  a  rattle- 
snake is  dangerous  to  the  comfort  and  peace  of  himself,  his 
family  and  his  friends,  and  the  dangerous  creature  is  de- 
stroyed or  imprisoned.  The  same  idea  underlies  all  laws 
governing  crime  as  well  as  dementia. 

A  great  satirist  has  said:  "Great  wits  to  madness  are  near 
allied;"  and  another  writer,  Max  Nordau  has  tried  to  show 


RESPONSIBILITY.  125 


that  most  human  beings  are  "Degenerate."  Insanity,  in  a 
greater  or  lesser  degree,  has  been  charged  to  all  great  men, 
poets,  philosophers,  inventors,  warriors,  statesmen  and  preach- 
ers, and  the  dullards  are  apt  to  class  a  man  as  eccentric.  By 
this  they  mean  that  he  is  a  little  cracked,  if  he  has  a  useful 
or  a  semi-useful  idea  in  his  head. 

Bob  Burdette  said:  "My  son,  if  you  can't  answer  a  man's 
argument,  call  him  a  crank,  it  settles  the  whole  question." 
The  best  definition  of  a  crank  that  we  have  ever  heard  is: 
"It  is  always  the  other  fellow." 

So  the  conclusion  is,  that  a  man  is  solely  responsible  just 
so  far  as  his  acts  are  detrimental  to  the  welfare  of  society; 
and  it  is  right  and  proper  that  the  state  should  protect  itself 
from  his  acts,  in  the  most  effectual  manner. 


126  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

MORAL   ETHICS. 

"How  shall  the  love  of  God  be  understood  by  those  who  have  been  nurtured 
in  sight  only  of  the  greed  of  man?" 

There  is  said  to  be  "A  chemistry  of  character;"  nature 
furnishes  the  materials  and  the  mother  is  the  chemist  who 
mixes  the  ingredients  which  form  the  basis  of  character.  If 
the  ingredients  which  are  to  make  up  the  organism  of  a 
future  individual  are  intelligently  compounded,  the  result 
must  be  a  good  product. 

The  ablest  and  wisest,  as  well  as  many  of  the  humblest  in 
the  land,  are  trying  to  instill  into  the  masses  a  voluminous 
dose  of  moral  ethics  that  many  of  them  are  as  unable  to 
understand  as  a  savage  is  the  rule  of  three.  It  is  impossible 
to  make  a  barbarian  or  his  compeer — the  man  with  a  brutish, 
vicious  nature,  who  can  be  found  in  nearly  all  communities — 
comprehend  the  teaching  of  morality.  The  golden  rule  he 
knows  nothing  about.  There  is  an  entire  absence  of  any  good 
ideas,  and  he  is  the  slave  of  his  passions.  There  is  a  cause 
for  the  mental  status  of  such  individuals.  Their  brains  are 
not  properly  constructed.  They  are  not  to  blame  for  the 
brain  substance  with  which  they  are  endowed,  and  can  no 
more  resist  the  inclination  of  their  minds  than  they  can  help 
breathing.  Nothing  can  instruct  them  in  their  duty  to 
society;  there  is  no  way  to  change  their  innate  desires.  The 
brain  structure  is  deformed.  The  brain  soil  deficient  in 
quality  or  quantity,  and  such  a  deficiency  is  as  real,  although 


MORAL  ETHICS.  127 


unseen,  as  is  a  crooked  hand  or  a  missing  foot.  Such  persons 
are  moral  idiots.  They  have  no  conception  of  justice  or 
morality;  like  the  man  who  is  born  blind  has  no  idea 
of  size  or  color.  Because  of  pre-natal  influences  (and  in 
deference  to  those  who  believe  in  heredity,  I  will  add  hered- 
ity), they  are  weak-willed  and  are  exceedingly  plastic  to  im- 
moral environment.  It  is  observed  that  such  natures  are  not 
so  amenable  to  good  influences,  good  company  and  clean 
minds,  but  they  imbibe  evil  as  easily  as  a  sponge  absorbs 
water.  They  are  fond  of  the  association  of  the  vicious  and 
the  impure.  Society  calls  them  morally  weak.  There  is 
some  faulty  condition  of  the  nerve  centers.  The  brain  struc- 
ture is  abnormal.  Look  at  some  of  the  denizens  in  the  slums 
of  our  large  cities,  whose  pitiful  lives  are  surrounded  by  the 
dark  forms  of  sin  and  want,  suffering  and  despair;  who  have 
learned  to  lisp  curses,  never  blessings;  whom  evil  brands  for 
its  own  ere  they  draw  the  first  breath.  When  crime  is  pun- 
ished in  such  a  person,  it  should  not  be  forgotten  that  it  is 
not  sin  that  is  punished,  but  a  wrong  to  society.  The  born 
criminal  does  not  commit  what  he  calls  sin;  he  is  performing 
the  part  allotted  to  him  in  a  drama,  where  life  is  a  tragedy, 
in  which  he  is  compelled  to  play  a  part  through  no  fault  of 
his  own.  The  fault  lies  in  the  improper  education  of  the 
mother,  and  the  blame  rests  upon  society  in  neglecting  to 
properly  educate  her.  No  mother,  with  true  motherly  in- 
stincts, would  consciously  or  intentionally  produce  a  wicked 
child,  but  if  her  education  has  been  neglected,  it  is  not  her 
fault.  Right  here  the  question  arises,  Would  you  advise  that 
criminals  should  not  be  punished  for  their  misdeeds?  No! 
A  thousand  times  No!  The  unreformable  criminal — and  ac- 
cording to  prison  statistics,  six  out  of  seven  male  criminals 
are  of  that  class — should  be  placed  in  confinement,  as  are 
other  imbeciles,  and  kept  there  until  God,  in  His  mercy,  calls 
them  to  their  long  home.  We  are  not  in  duty  bound  to  let  a 
born  criminal  go  free  because  he  is  unfortunate  in  his  make- 
up. It  is  his  nature  to  commit  crime.  If  a  lion  were  loose 


128  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

in  the  community  we  would  ask,  first,  Is  there  danger?  then 
put  it  where  it  could  do  no  harm. 

The  concensus  of  opinion  of  all  students  of  criminology  is 
that  the  born  criminal  cannot  be  reclaimed  any  more  than  a 
man  who  is  born  blind  can  be  made  to  see.  An  instinctive 
criminal  should  be  sequestered  because  he  is  dangerous  to  the 
commonwealth;  he  is  incapable  of  reformation.  If  at  any 
time  an  idea  of  good  morals  enters  his  head,  he  soon  forgets 
the  lesson.  The  community  has  too  long  ministered  to  the 
degradation  of  its  own  members  through  ignorance  of  natural 
law. 

It  is  useless  to  teach  a  boy  a  business  for  which  he  has  no 
taste,  and  lay  down  a  set  of  rules  which  he  cannot  compre- 
hend, for  the  purpose  of  making  a  business  man  of  him,  when 
he  prefers  to  raise  cattle  or  work  on  a  railroad ;  or  to  attempt 
to  make  a  preacher  out  of  one  that  was  intended  for  a  black- 
smith or  shoemaker. 

'To  Newton  and  to  Newton's  dog,  Diamond,  what  a  different  pair  of  universes." 

— CorZyte. 

Neither  can  you  make  a  boy  honest  by  good  instruction 
if  he  is  born  with  a  desire  to  steal;  and  the  advice  to  him 
that  he  should  choose  good  company,  when  he  prefers  the 
low  and  depraved,  will  do  no  good,  except,  perhaps,  to  make 
him  a  hypocrite,  pretending  to  be  what  he  is  not.  What  one 
longs  to  be,  that  he  is  at  heart. 

Here  is  the  style  of  a  man,  upon 
whom  all  moral  teaching  is  like  casting 
pearl  before  swine,  and  the  humanitar- 
ian's labor  is  all  in  vain;  he  is  a  low- 
browed, weazel-eyed  ruffian,  with  hang- 
dog features  and  a  swaggering  manner. 
Such  a  man  has  the  ravenous  nature  of 
the  wolf,  combined  with  the  disposition 
of  a  cur  dog,  which  makes  him  lazy,  a 
bully  and  a  coward,  morally  and  physically;  his  head  is  made 
for  butting,  not  for  thinking. 


MORAL  ETHICS.  129 


Compare  the  man  who  has  never  needed  moral  teaching. 
He  would  have  been  good  if  reared 
among  savages.  He  is  full  to  over-flow- 
ing with  charity  and  good  will  to  all  men. 
His  whole  demeanor  proves  that  his 
tastes  and  desires  are  of  a  high  order. 
As  for  morality,  he  has  so  much  of  it 
that  he  can  spare  some  for  his  weaker 
neighbor. 

What  good  would  all  moral  lectures  do  for  a  man  who  as 
a  boy  was  stupid,  sullen  and  ugly,  with  a  spirit  of  disobedi- 
ence pervading  his  whole  being?  He  develops  into  a  man 
with  a  bullet  head,  heavy  brows,  narrow  and  low  forehead, 
wide  mouth  and  jaws,  teeth  prominent,  coarse  featured,  with 
the  appearance  of  a  bull  dog.  "Beast"  is  indelibly  stamped 
upon  his  countenance.  He  can  no  more  imbibe  or  under- 
stand the  principles  of  morality — do  unto  others  as  you  would 
be  done  by — than  he  can  fly.  The  right  or  the  wrong  of  an 
act  is  no  part  of  his  thoughts;  everything  relatively  good, 
merged  into  a  slough  of  sensuality.  His  brain  was  developed 
under  abnormal  conditions,  and  it  is  full  of  immoral  prin- 
ciples; he  has  no  conception  of  justice  and  mercy;  is  cruel 
and  vindictive.  He  is  of  that  class  who  will,  in  a  fit  of  anger, 
murder  his  own  child  in  its  mother's  lap,  and  who  will  drag 
his  wife  around  the  room  by  the  hair  and  beat  her  brains  out 
with  a  poker.  The  composition  of  his  brain  is  abnormal  and 
constructed  upon  wrong  lines;  no  amount  of  humanitarian 
work  or  education  can  change  it. 

The  reader  is  requested  not  to  infer  that  preaching,  pray- 
ing, moral  lectures  and  humanitarian  work  should  be  aban- 
doned; upon  the  contrary,  there  is  a  large  class  who  are  of 
medium  nature,  neither  good  or  bad.  Many  persons  have 
strong  inclinations,  one  way  or  the  other — they  are  real  good 
or  very  bad.  Between  these  two  extremes  are  the  many  to 
whom  the  teaching  of  good  morals  is  a  necessity,  and  the 
Christian  philanthropist  should  use  judgment  and  not  waste 


130  MATERNAL  TMPRESSIOXS. 

"Sweetness  upon  the  desert  air."  To  that  large  class  who  are 
neither  real  good  or  very  bad  the  teaching,  preaching  and 
praying  is  necessary.  They  must  be  taught,  their  morality 
strengthened  and  encouraged,  by  precept  and  example,  to 
expand  the  good  which  is  in  them.  Many  of  them  belong  to 
that  large  class  about  which  the  remark  is  made,  "He  is  a 
weak  sister."  The  continued  reiteration  of  moral  precepts  is 
positively  necessary  as  a  preventative  in  the  case  of  one  of 
those  silly  women,  who  like  to  say  naughty  things  because 
they  are  naughty,  who  are  happy  when  near  the  danger  line, 
even  if  they  never  cross  it;  whose  brains  are  so  constituted 
that  long  before  maturity  the  animal  nature  is  fully  developed. 
On  the  line  of  good  morals  she  has  stopped  growing,  so  far 
as  her  brains  are  concerned,  her  soul  is  dwarfed  and  dormant, 
and  she  must  be  kept  from  developing  the  bad  nature  in  her; 
she  may  become  a  harmless,  colorless  member  of  society,  or 
possibly  a  vulgar,  virtuous  gossip,  providing  she  has  the 
proper  environment.  To  such  an  one  moral  culture  is  posi- 
tively essential,  as  she  would  be  apt  to  go  to  ruin  through 
the  first  gap  in  the  hedge,  and  it  need  not  be  a  very  large  gap 
either.  It  is  also  necessary  for  the  boy  who  has  no  strength 
of  character;  who  is  unable  to  say  No,  when  tempted  to  do 
wrong;  he  must  be  continually  tempted  to  do  right  until  the 
brain  expansion  is  fixed,  and  until  that  time  he  is  in  danger 
of  giving  way  to  evil  influences. 

Those  who  have  an  inborn  spirit  of  evil;  who  are  of  a 
mean,  malevolent  spirit;  who  are  what  are  known  as  moral 
idiots,  cannot  be  cured  of  such  a  spirit  by  education.  Kind- 
ness or  cruelty,  the  sugar  plum  or  the  whip,  the  Sunday 
school  or  the  reformatory,  the  asylum  or  the  penitentiary, 
education  or  philanthropy,  will  all  fail  to  overcome  an  unbal- 
anced brain  structure.  It  may  be  possible  to  build  up  or 
strengthen  weak  nerve  centers,  but  to  the  vast  majority  be- 
longs the  term  Incorrigible.  When  we  educate  them,  it  is 
simply  assisting  them  "by  adding  to  their  armament  of  de- 
ception." Dr.  Kerlin  says:  "We  believe  that  in  educating 


MORAL  ETHICS.  131 


moral  imbecility,  we  are  training  experts  for  later  so-called 
moral  imbecility."  Culture  may  suppress  it,  but  at  times  it 
will  burst  forth,  and  its  true  nature  will  assert  itself. 

The  teaching  of  good  morals  is  not  necessary  in  the  case 
of  a  plain,  practical,  motherly-looking  woman,  with  wide-open, 
honest  eyes,  and  whose  whole  expression  shows  that  her 
thoughts  are  pure  and  intentions  good;  who  is,  withal,  mod- 
est and  reserved  and  will  befriend  the  homeless  and  the 
houseless — a  veritable  good  Samaritan — her  sympathies  with 
the  right,  because  it  is  right.  She  was  born  good,  her  brains 
are  constructed  upon  correct  lines;  she  will  always  be  pure  in 
heart  and  true  in  soul,  true  to  her  sense  of  honor,  and  has 
that  instinctive  repugnance  to  vice  and  crime,  which  is  found 
in  some  of  the  grand  men  and  women  of  the  age.  Among 
the  many  thousands  who  are  giving  their  life  to  the  cause  of 
humanity,  we  think  of  our  own  Frances  Willard,  Lady  Som- 
erset of  England,  and  in  France  the  Red  Nun  of  Paris,  as 
well  as  the  innumerable  host  of  those  not  so  well  known, 
down  to  the  humble  citizen  who  divides  the  last  crust  with 
one  who  is  more  needy.  Such  persons  are  full  to  over-flowing 
with  morality,  arid  have  some  to  spare  for  their  weaker  neigh- 
bors, even  if  they  had  never  been  taught  the  first  principles 
of  morality.  But  as  it  is  impossible  to  classify  all  the  chil- 
dren, society  dare  not  relax  any  efforts  in  teaching  good 
morals.  That,  with  good  environment,  is  an  important  factor 
in  the  moral  elevation  of  a  large  number  of  medium  natures 
found  in  all  classes  of  society. 


PART  II. 


The  reader  will  bear  in  mind  that  the  cases  cited  in  the  following 
chapters  are  not  culled  from  other  works,  but  are  personal  investiga- 
tions given  to  tne  author  by  mothers,  in  the  hope  that,  through  their 
experience,  other  mothers  may  profit  and  their  offspring  be  benefited. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


THE  PROCESS  OF  BRAIN  FORMATION.  135 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  PROCESS  OF  BRAIN  FORMATION — A   PHILOSOPHICAL  DISCUS- 
SION OF  THE  MANNER   IN  WHICH   A   MOTHER  CHANGES  THE 
BRAIN  FORMATION  OF  HER  OFFSPRING  AND  HOW  IT  MAY 
BECOME  NORMAL  OR  ABNORMAL  IN  CONSTRUCTION. 

"The  essential  reason  of  abnormal  brain  action  is  abnormal  brain  structure, 
and  the  application  of  this  truth  will  create  a  revolution  in  ethics  and  jurispru- 
dence."— Dr.  JacobL 

"It  is  impossible  to  explain  the  process  by  which  the  delicate  mechanism  of 
the  human  brain  is  constructed.  It  is  only  a  few  inches  in  diameter,  weighs  about 
forty-nine  ounces  and  contains  millions  of  cells.  The  gray  matter  is  the  substra  for 
evolving  tens  of  millions  of  separate  ideas,  without  conscious  friction  or  pain,  if 
properly  organized  or  not  interfered  with." 

In  the  study  of  this  subject  a  pertinent  question  to  be 
considered  is,  Do  certain  portions  of  the  brain  substance 
regulate  and  control  the  mental  faculties?  It  is  a  funda- 
mental question,  therefore  an  important  one,  and  if  decided  in 
the  negative,  there  will  be  no  use  for  further  argument.  But 
a  negative  decision  seems  impossible,  in  the  present  state  of 
knowledge  we  have  of  the  brain  structure.  We  concede  that 
the  subject  is  hypothetical — proven  by  analogy,  and  inferred 
by  the  effect  which  is  produced.  No  anatomist  has  presumed 
to  say  just  what  nerve  center  governs  the  various  emotional 
functions  of  the  brain,  or  where  the  various  nerve  centers  are 
located.  That  all  physical  peculiarities  of  man's  nature  are 
controlled  by  a  part  of  the  brain  substance  has  been  known  a 
long  time,  and  the  exact  location  of  many,  with  their  effect 
upon  the  physical  nature  of  man,  is  an  open  book  to  the 
anatomist. 


136  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

In  order  to  get  an  idea  of  the  construction  of  the  brain,  it 
will  be  necessary  to  examine  some  authorities.  All  agree  that 
the  nerves  end  in  the  centers;  these  centers  compose  the  gray 
matter,  and  this  gray  substance  is  easily  acted  upon  by  ex- 
ternal influences  of  every  kind.  Some  writers  describe  the 
gray  matter  as  differing  in  different  regions.  Dr.  Lewis  says: 
"In  the  motor  area  it  consists  of  five  layers.  This  gray  mat 
ter  is  the  organ  of  the  mind." 

Gray's  Anatomy,  in  describing  the  nerves  and  the  gray 
matter  says:     "It  may  be  compared  to  the  top  of  a  tree  with 

two  branches,  one  for  each  side  of  the  brain These 

branches  break  into  smaller  ones;  these  into  twigs;  at  the 
ends  leaves,  forming  a  covering  for  the  whole.  But  here  the 
analogy  ends,  for,  in  addition  to  these  leaves,  there  are  other 
masses  of  gray  matter,  which  are  in  the  middle  of  the  brain. 
....  The  white  matter  consists  of  fibres  of  various  sizes, 
which  are  arranged  in  bundles  that  may  be  divided  into  three 

systems The  types  of  gray  matter  are,  first,  those  with 

eight  layers;  second,  there  is  another  part  in  which  the  third 
and  fourth  layers  are  absent,  and  the  second  layer  contains  no 
cells;  ....  third,  a  gray  matter  composed  of  spindle- 
shaped  cells,  as  are  found  in  the  fifth  layer The 

bulb  consists  of  gray  and  white  matter.  The  lower  part  is 
the  gray;  this  part  refers  to  or  controls  the  sense  of  smell." 
Whether  Dr.  Gray,  by  this,  means  that  the  lower  part  of  the 
entire  white  and  gray  matter  is  used  in  governing  the  sense 
of  smell,  is  not  clearly  explained.  This  is  a  brief  and  con- 
densed statement  of  an  eminent  authority,  and  gives  one  a 
faint  idea  as  to  what  the  gray  matter  and  the  cells  of  the 
brain  are,  and  is  sufficient  for  this  investigation,  viz:  the 
growth  or  movement  by  or  through  which  the  brain  cells  are 
enlarged  or  decreased — in  other  words,  why  the  law  of  hered- 
ity is  over-powered,  as  it  were,  and  in  some  cases  an  abnormal 
character  developed.  If  the  problem  is  logically  investigated 
it  will  pave  the  way  to  a  clearer  comprehension  of  the  cause 
why  there  is  so  much  difference  in  the  brain-power  of  mem- 


THE  PROCESS  OF  BRAIN  FORMATION.  137 

bers  of  the  same  family,  without  being  compelled  to  attribute 
the  various  peculiarities  in  man  to  heredity,  atavism  or  trans- 
cendentalism. 

"To  confine  our  study  to  the  nervous  substance  would  misrepresent  the  con- 
nection, and  the  knowledge  of  that  substance,  however  complete,  would  Hot  suffice 
for  a  solution  of  the  problem."— Bain, 

"All  normal  mental  action  is  the  result  of  a  healthy  brain  action,  and  all  ab- 
normal manifestations  of  mind  are  the  result  of  a  diseased  or  deranged  brain.  .  . 
.  .  A  child  may  be  born  idiotic  through  the  influence  of  a  mental  shock  received 

by  the  mother There  is  no  doubt  that  idiocy  and  other  disorders  of  the 

mind  may  be  induced  by  strong  emotions  of  the  mother Mind  is  not  a  fluid 

secretion,  it  is  a  force  produced  oy  nervous  action As  a  galvanic  battery 

evolves  galvanism  so  the  brain  evolves  mind If  the  battery  is  good,  the 

galvanism  is  good."— Dr.  W.  A.  Hammond. 

The  reader  should  remember  that  idiocy  is  not  imbecility 
or  epilepsy,  although  they  are  closely  related.  The  seat  of 
the  nerves  which  govern  and  control  the  moral  and  intellect- 
ual nature,  including  the  emotions  and  desires,  is  as  yet  un- 
known. It  is  unquestioned  that  an  abnormal  brain  develop- 
ment may  be  produced  by  the  mental  impressions  of  the 
mother.  Any  scare,  injury,  or  anger  is  liable  to  affect  the 
prospective  child;  and  instances  innumerable  can  be  cited 
where  abnormities  were  produced  without  any  shock,  simply 
thinking  of  an  injury,  or  an  unusual  object;  or  a  desire  to 
kill  or  steal  has  produced  a  murderer  or  thief.  The  cause  of 
much  of  the  criminality  of  this  age  will  be  found  due  to 
maternal  impressions.  In  short,  anything  that  makes  an  im- 
pression upon  the  mother's  mind  retards  or  promotes  the 
normal  growth  of  the  brain  cells,  which  compose  the  gray 
matter  that  is  intended  to  control  some  particular  character- 
istic, whatever  it  may  be. 

As  it  is  not  essential  in  this  argument,  we  will  proceed 
upon  the  hypothesis  that  the  mother's  mental  impressions 
affect  the  forming,  plastic  brain  of  her  prospective  offspring. 
The  study  of  such  a  theory  is  to  be  judged  beneficial,  solely 
by  its  service  in  extending  the  knowledge  of  the  relation  of 
the  phenomena  which  it  represents.  "With  this  in  mind,  let 
us  proceed  to  an  investigation  of  this  theory,  and  the  subject 


138  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

will  be  found  very  interesting.  Suppose  it  were  possible  to 
examine  and  watch  the  growth  and  development  of  a  living, 
normal  human  brain,  a  few  months  before  birth,  and  that  a 
careful  study  of  it  could  be  made.  It  is  fair  and  logical  to 
assume  that  it  would  be  found  to  be  of  equal  density  in  both 
hemispheres,  that  its  tendency  is  to  grow  in  the  same  degree 
upon  both  sides,  as  do  the  arms,  legs  and  feet.  It  is  also 
proper  to  assume  that  a  part  of  this  brain  structure  is  for  the 
purpose  of  governing  and  controlling  an  essential  character- 
istic of  the  organism  which  is  developing.  For  example:  A 
certain  part  of  this  gray  matter  or  brain  fibre  is  intended  to 
govern  the  physical  taste  of  the  individual  and  the  cells  are 
growing  evenly  balanced;  its  normal  desire  would  be  for  fruits 
or  sweets.  For  illustration,  take  honey:  The  mother  has  a 
normal  desire  for  honey ;  she  eats  it  as  she  does  other  articles 
of  food  that  she  has  no  especial  like  or  dislike  for.  The 
mother  at  this  particular  time  receives  a  strong  mental  im  • 
pression  or  disgust  for  honey,  caused  by  seeing  some  that  wa& 
full  of  dead  bees,  the  sight  of  which  momentarily  creates  an 
intense  dislike  for  honey — any  other  article  of  food  would 
illustrate  the  idea  just  as  well.  The  mental  shock,  or  the 
mother's  impression  disarranges  the  particles  of  the  forming 
brain  of  her  prospective  child.  (Rev.  Joseph  Cook's  idea  is 
that  some  of  the  brain  fibres  are  crowded  from  one  side  of 
the  brain  to  the  other,  but  this  is  impossible  from  the  struct- 
ure of  the  brain,  it  being  in  two  distinct  parts).  Or,  suppose 
the  nerve  cells  which  were  intended  to  like  honey  were 
crowed  out  of  their  proper  place,  and  into  that  place  is  put 
the  nerve  cells  which  dislike  honey.  Or  still  another  hypoth- 
esis: The  nerve  cell  which  is  to  control  the  desire  or  taste  for 
honey,  by  the  mental  impression  of  the  mother  is  arrested 
in  its  development,  and  that  part  of  the  cell  which  dislikes 
honey  is  enlarged.  That  is,  the  division  of  the  cell  has  be- 
come unbalanced,  or  abnormal,  the  line  of  separation  between 
the  like  and  the  dislike,  which  would  have  made  a  normal 
cell,  if  evenly  divided,  would  have  given  the  child  the  same 


THE  PROCESS  OF  BRAIN  FORMATION.  139 

desire  as  its  mother,  so  far  as  honey  is  concerned;  i.  e.  a  normal 
one.  But  through  the  action  of  the  mother's  mentality  the 
child  is  born  with  an  intense  dislike  for  it,  so  that  the  taste 
of  honey  is  sickening. 

The  question  is  asked,  how  are  the  nerve  cells  contracted 
or  enlarged?  How  does  the  mother  affect  them  through  her 
mental  action?  The  answer  to  this  is  wholly  hypothetical, 
and  goes  into  the  realm  of  the  anatomist,  in  which  I  can  only 
surmise;  this  is  all  the  most  scientific  scholar  in  that  line  can 
do.  He  can  make  a  premise  and  form  a  conclusion  to  suit 
his  fancy ;  this  I  shall  do  without  making  any  pretensions  as 
to  its  validity.  An  exact  knowledge  of  the  cause  of  brain 
malformation  is  at  the  best  very  indefinite,  and  must  be 
largely  conjecture.  Bear  in  mind  that  the  cells  and  nerves 
connected  with  them  are  very  minute  even  in  the  structure  of 
a  full-grown  person,  and  for  the  purpose  of  illustration  I  have 
assumed  that  they  are  square,  though  the  fact  is  they  are  of 
all  conceivable  shapes.  Future  investigation  may  prove  that 
each  peculiar  shape  of  the  cell  controls  a  particular  emotion. 
That  is  to  say,  anatomists  may  at  some  time  find  that  a  man's 
propensities  are  governed  by  groups  of  particular-shaped 
cells.  If  he  is  immoral  there  may  be  masses  of  cells  which 
are  of  a  round  shape;  if  he  has  a  murderous  or  criminal  dis- 
position they  may  be  square,  and  so  on,  indefinitely.  Upon 
the  contrary,  if  no  such  cells  are  found,  he  will  not  indulge 
in,  nor  have  any  love  for  wrong  doing,  but  will  have  a  desire 
for,  or  a  dislike  to  a  thing  or  action,  in  accordance  with  the 
construction  of  certain  shaped  cells.  If  they  are  small  his 
desires  will  be  weak;  if  fully  developed,  he  will  delight  in 
the  propensity  which  the  cell  is  intended  to  govern.  I  do  not 
wish  to  be  understood  that  this  hypothesis  has  any  basis  to 
rest  upon,  but  merely  suggest  it  for  some  abler  mind  to 
investigate  or  work  out. 

All  the  cells  which  govern  the  taste  are  located  in  some 
par',  of  the  brain;  where,  is  of  no  consequence  in  this  argu- 
ment. We  assume  that  the  taste  for  each  article  of  food  is 


140  MATERXAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

controlled  by  one  of  these  cells,  with  its  accompanying  nerve. 
When  the  taste  is  normal  the  cell  is  equally  divided;  when, 
as  has  been  remarked,  the  dislike  is  very  pronounced,  it  has 
been  unequally  divided  and  more  room  given  to  that  part  of 
the  cell  which  is  to  hold  the  gray  matter  that  dislikes  the 
particular  article  of  food.  The  structure  of  that  nerve  cell 
is  unalterable  after  birth ;  it  cannot  be  removed  or  changed 
by  a  surgical  operation.  If  not  very  pronounced,  it  can  be 
restrained  by  environment,  the  like  or  dislike  overcome,  but 
completely  eliminated,  never.  It  would  be  the  same  in  the 
case  of  a  nerve  cell  which  is  to  govern  any  good  or  bad  moral 
tendency,  which  accounts  for  the  impossibility  of  reforming 
the  congenital  criminal  or  drunkard. 

This  hypothesis  and  its  deduction  has  at  least  the  merit 
of  being  logical.  It  seems  impossible  to  refute  the  argument, 
when  the  many  human  monstrosities  which  are  called  freaks 
of  nature,  are  studied ;  where  the  mind  of  the  mother,  by  a 
mental  operation,  has  disarranged  the  atoms  of  flesh  and 
bones  which  were  intended  to  form  a  hand,  or  a  foot,  and  her 
mind,  by  some  process,  has  cut  off,  as  it  were,  a  hand  or  foot, 
or  has  produced  some  other  so  called  birth-mark.  Birth- 
marks are  well  known,  and  the  presumed  causes  are  under- 
stood by  the  most  ignorant  mother  in  the  land.  How  the 
nerve  cells  are  changed,  destroyed,  or  arrested  in  their  devel- 
opment, is  unknown;  by  what  process  the  mind  alters  the 
nerve  cells  of  the  brain,  or  changes  the  structure  of  the 
flesh  and  bones,  may  never  be  known.  Be  that  as  it  may, 
the  result  is  what  we  are  looking  for — the  cause  of  varie- 
ties in  the  human  intellect.  The  logical  deductions  and 
conclusions  must  be,  that  the  individual  whose  forming  or 
growing  brain  we  have  been  studying  would  have  had  more 
or  less,  as  the  case  may  be,  of  brain  fibre,  or  nerve  cells,  in  a 
certain  place,  than  if  /there  had  been  no  mental  impression, 
or  shock.  If  there  had  been  nothing  to  disturb  the  mother's 
mind,  it  would  have  had  a.  normal  desire  for  honey,  or  a  nor- 
mal hand  or  foot,  as  the  case  may  be. 


THE  PROCESS  OF  BRAIN  FORMATIOX.  141 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  entire  argument  rests  upon 
the  proposition,  that  the  mother  has  the  power  to,  or  does 
shape  the  brain  cells,  which  is  the  gray  matter,  or  brain  soil, 
that  will  control  the  individual's  action.  If  the  brain  cells 
are  largely  formed  for  good  actions,  and  those  which  are  to 
influence  the  bad  actions  are  shrunken  and  unable  to  exert 
any  control,  then  the  possessor  of  that  brain  will  be  capable 
of  imbibing  the  good  which  is  taught  it.  If  the  cells  that 
are  to  control  improper  or  bad  actions  are  increased,  that  per- 
son will  not  understand  what  is  meant  when  it  is  taught  good 
morals.  Whatever  the  mother  elects  to  have,  consciously  or 
unconsciously,  she  will  have;  a  good  child,  or  a  bad  child;  a 
thief  and  murderer,  or  one  who  is  good  and  true.  That  the 
mother  forms  and  shapes  the  body  of  her  offspring  cannot  be 
successfully  controverted.  The  only  question  is,  Does  she 
form  the  brain  structure,  also?  That  she  does,  is  undoubted. 

At  this  point  the  question  arises:  Does  the  father  have 
nothing  to  do  in  giving  form  and  shape  to  the  offspring? 
The  answer  is  both  yes,  and  no.  Yes,  if  the  mother  does 
not  allow  her  thoughts  to  dwell  upon  some  other  person  or 
thing,  or  if  her  mind  is  not  disturbed  in  any  manner,  then 
there  would  be  a  reproduction  of  the  father's  characteristics. 
And  no,  if  the  mother  continually  thinks  of  some  other  per- 
son, or  thing  that  does  not  resemble  the  father  at  all.  If 
these  conclusions  are  contested,  it  rests  with  the  objector  to 
show  that  the  cases  cited  in  this  work  are  not  traceable  to 
maternal  impressions,  and  the  critic  must  show  by  as  good 
authority  that  some  other  factor  was  the  cause  of  the  various 
abnormities,  and  the  evidence  should  be  as  conclusive  as  that 
which  is  brought  in  favor  of  maternal  impressions. 


142 


MATERIAL  IMPRESSTOXS. 


CHAPTEK  XV. 

CONGENITAL   BLINDNESS   CAN   BE   PREVENTED. 

It  is  apparent  to  the  most  care- 
less observer  that  there  are  certain 
evils  existing  in  society  which  are 
not  accounted  for,  arid  when  com- 
mented upon,  are  excused  by  the 
assertion  that  the  evils  are  innate; 
that  they  are  from  natural  causes 
Island  cannot  be  avoided.  Such  an 
llanswer  does  not  explain  the  cause; 
||it  only  emphasizes  a  fact.  If  an 
Wil  exists  that  weakens  the  ability 
of  any  human  being  to  do  more 
good  than  he  is  doing  under  present  conditions,  or  which 
wholly  unfits  one  to  perform  the  duties  which  every  one  owes 
to  his  fellows,  then  the  cause  of  the  evil  should  be  investigat- 
ed, and  discovered,  if  possible,  so  that  the  evil  can  be  miti- 
gated and  thus  benefit  society. 

This  leads  to  the  consideration  of  a  grievous  wrong,  which 
can  be  largely  prevented  in  the  future — the  past  and  present 
cannot  be  undone.  The  wrong  referred  to  is  the  birth  of 
blind  children,  which  is  mainly  the  result  of  ignorance  of  the 
laws  which  govern  reproduction.  At  the  various  institutes 
for  the  blind  in  the  United  States,  and  it  is  fair  to  assume 
that  it  is  the  same  in  other  lands,  no  efforts  are  put  forth  to 
learn  the  cause  of  congenital  blindness.  There  are  no  sutdise 


CONGENITAL  BLINDNESS  CAN  BE  PREVENTED.          143 

or  investigations  as  to  the  reason  why  parents  who  are  blessed 
with  good  eyesight,  bring  forth  children  with  defective  vision 
or  who  are  totally  blind.  When  the  vision  is  defective  by 
reason  of  the  various  diseases  which  affect  a  child,  at  or  before 
birth,  medical  writers  and  teachers  are  called  upon  to  give 
instruction  how  to  cure  or  alleviate  the  suffering.  But  when 
a  child  is  born  blind,  the  doctor  shakes  his  head,  looks  wise, 
arid  mournfully  says,  too  bad!  too  bad!  but  makes  no  effort 
to  inquire  into  the  cause,  and  by  finding  out  the  cause,  prevent 
the  birth  of  others.  If  the  doctor  were  asked:  "Why  is  the 
child  born  blind?"  He  would  probably  say:  "It  is  explainable 
by  the  fact  that  it  has  no  optic  nerve."  "But,  Doctor,  why 
has  it  no  optic  nerve,  when  the  rest  of  the  family  are  all 
normal?"  He  would  no  doubt  say:  "All  medical  authorities 
agree  that  when  there  is  no  optic  nerve  the  individual  is  blind 
and  there  is  no  remedy." 

At  the  blind  asylums  the  only  record  is  that  a  certain  per- 
centage of  the  inmates  became  blind  from  disease,  or  acci- 
dent, but  in  case  of  a  congenital  blind  person,  the  record  is 
simply  "Born  blind."  The  causes  which  produce  a  child  who 
is  at  birth  blind,  from  parents  that  are  normal,  is  a  subject 
which  has  not  been  investigated  by  those  whose  duty  it  would 
seem  to  be.  At  least  there  are  no  records  upon  this  very  im- 
portant subject.  Some  who  are  afflicted  by  such  a  terrible 
calamity  are  told  that  "It  is  the  will  of  God."  Is  it  possible 
that  a  kind  and  overruling  Providence,  who  cares  for  the 
humblest  of  his  creatures,  should  willingly  and  knowingly 
maim  one  of  them?  Without  any  cause  should  decree  that 
one  made  in  His  likeness,  and  for  His  glory,  should  never  see 
the  beauty  of  this  world,  or  the  face  of  his  loving  friends? 
Such  argument  is,  to  say  the  least,  illogical,  if  not  blasphe- 
mous. 

But  the  question  remains,  Why  are  children  born  blind, 
when  the  parents  and  grandparents  are  physically  sound? 
The  wise  men  who  are  presumed  to  instruct  the  masses,  and 
who  are  continually  suggesting  means  for  the  physical  and 


144  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS, 

moral  improvement  of  mankind,  are  as  silent  as  the  grave 
upon  this  very  important  question.  Important,  first  and  fore- 
most, to  the  principle  sufferers,  those  of  future  generations 
who  will  be  born  blind  unless  the  conditions  which  produce 
congenital  blindness  are  understood  and  counteracted  by  wise 
and  intelligent  means,  viz:  a  study  of  the  law  which  God  has 
instituted  to  govern  mothers  at  such  times.  Important  to 
future  parents,  who  if  not  taught  that  certain  causes  will  pro- 
duce certain  effects,  are  bound,  in  all  human  probability,  to 
produce  a  number  of  congenital  blind.  A  neglect  to  educate 
the  mother  upon  the  line  of  the  reproduction  of  mankind, 
will  entail  upon  such  parents  much  suffering,  by  the  extra 
care  and  anxiety  in  the  education  of  blind  offspring,  to  fit 
them  for  the  battle  of  life.  Important  to  society,  as  such  an 
education  will  relieve  the  state  from  the  charge  which  now 
rests  upon  it,  for  the  maintenance  of  institutions  organized 
to  care  for,  and  educate  those  who  are  blind.  The  profes- 
sional scientist  dismisses  the  subject  of  congenital  blindness 
by  asserting  that  it  is  some  strain  of  evil  or  physical  imper- 
fection which  has  come  down  through  the  line  of  ancestors; 
some  far-off  long-forgotten  or  unknown  progenitor,  even 
though  it  may  be  impossible  to  find  one  with  defective  vision 
in  the  entire  line.  And  the  answer  is  only  an  excuse  for  ig- 
norance of  previous  conditions.  When  a  scientist  makes  the 
above  assertion,  he  overlooks  the  fact  that  our  ancestors  were 
not  afflicted  to  the  extent  that  the  present  generation  is. 
That  physical,  as  well  as  mental  and  moral  imperfections, 
are  increasing,  and  mankind  must  be  reverting  to  type;  de- 
generating, because  it  is  not  conforming  to  a  fundamental  law 
of  nature.  The  scientist  who  asserts  that  atavism  is  the 
cause,  knows  that  it  cannot  be  demonstrated.  And  the  an- 
swer is,  therefore,  not  scientific.  The  dim  and  shadowy  past 
furnishes  no  clue  or  data,  either  to  prove  or  disprove,  the 
conclusion,  and  the  wise  man  (?)  rests  securely  upon  his  lau- 
rels. A  study  of  materology  will  enable  the  student  to  ac- 
quire a  logical  conception  of  the  cause  of  the  birth  of  a  blind 


CONGENITAL  BLINDNESS  CAN  BE  PREVENTED.          145 

child.  It  will  be  at  least  more  reasonable  than  to  grope 
among  the  shades  of  unknown  ancestors,  from  whom  no  facts 
can  be  gleaned,  and  where  the  torch  of  science  flickers  low 
in  its  socket;  becomes  like  a  tallow  dip;  and  at  last  is  entirely 
extinguished.  This  kind  of  so-called  science,  upon  this  sub- 
ject, is  purely  guess-work. 

The  states  are  as  indifferent  and  careless  as  the  scientists. 
A  few  of  them  demand  that  the  physician  in  charge,  at  the 
birth  of  a  child  who  is  blind  or  otherwise  abnormal,  shall, 
within  thirty  days,  make  the  same  report  that  he  does  for  a 
normal  infant.  Such  a  report  does  not  require  any  reference 
to  abnormities,  simply  the  name,  sex,  color,  hour  and  date  of. 
birth,  parents'  ages  and  nativity;  signed  by  the  attending 
physician.  Not  a  line  or  word  is  demanded  that  would  lead 
to  an  investigation  of  the  cause  of  congenital  blindness. 
National  and  state  laws  have  been  passed  to  prevent  and 
eradicate  diseases  which  affect  live  stock,  but  the  disorder 
that  produces  abnormal  human  beings  is  overlooked.  The 
state  should  minister  to  the  comfort  of  its  citizens,  and  if 
possible,  prevent  the  birth  of  blind  persons.  It  could  be 
done  by  the  proper  education  of  the  mothers.  No  good  citi- 
zen will  object  to  laws  that  will  result  in  preventing  the  birth 
of  imperfect  children.  Accidents  which  affect  the  individual 
after  birth  are  not  considered  in  this  argument. 

Before  passing  to  a  further  consideration  of  the  subject, 
let  us  see  how  many  blind  there  are  in  the  United  States,  and 
it  is  fair  to  assume  that  the  number  will  increase  in  the  same 
ratio  as  they  have  in  the  past,  unless  something  is  done  to 
prevent  it.  The  number  of  those  who  are  totally  blind  from 
all  causes,  as  given  in  the  census  of  the  United  States,  is  as 
follows:  There  were  in  1850,  9,724;  in  1860,  12,658;  in  1870, 
20,928;  in  1880,  48,928;  in  1890,  50,568.  No  data  was  found 
of  the  number  of  those  born  blind  in  1850,  1860  and  1870, 
but  in  1880  there  were  4,027;  in  1890,  4,267.  These  figures 
are  appalling,  and  should  awaken  an  interest  in  the  question 
as  to  what  can  be  done  to  prevent  the  production  of  blind 


146  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

children.  We  unhesitatingly  assert  that  it  can  only  be  done 
by  the  proper  education  of  the  coming  mothers,  by  teaching 
the  great  danger  to  their  offspring,  of  allowing  their  minds 
to  dwell  upon  blind  cases,  or  if  shocked  by  an  accident  to 
themselves,  or  others,  which  may  arrest  development,  they 
should  be  taught  how  to  assist  nature  to  overcome  such  ar- 
rested development,  while  the  mother  is  in  the  condition  en- 
tailed upon  her  sex,  and  which  is  so  important  to  the  family 
and  society.  They  must  be  taught  how  to  overcome  the 
mental  disturbances  which  are  apt  to  worry  them  at  such 
times. 

To  one  who  gives  the  subject  a  few  moments  thought,  it 
would  seem  that  the  state  should  demand,  in  the  case  of  the 
birth  of  an  abnormal  child,  that  the  attending  physician  in- 
vestigate the  predisposing  cause  which  may  have  produced 
the  abnormal  development.  A  collection  of  such  reports 
would  be  a  nuclei  upon  which  to  base  a  conclusion. 

The  following  is  the  skeleton  of  a  law  which  should  be 
placed  upon  the  statute  books  of  every  state  in  the  union : 
Be  it  enacted,  etc  : 

It  shall  be  the  duty  of  every  physician,  and  of  every  midwife,  when 
professionally  attending  the  birth  of  a  child,  to  make  a  record  of  the 
same.  Said  record  shall  embrace  the  date  of  birth,  color,  sex,  given 
name  if  possible,  (so  that  in  case  of  an  abnormity  which  is  not  apparent 
at  birth,  it  can  be  traced  for  future  study),  age  and  color  of  parents, 
residence,  (if  in  a  city,  street  and  number,  if  in  the  country,  location  of 
parents'  home  as  accurate  as  possible).  If  normal  report  yes;  if  ab- 
normal, the  attending  physician  shall  give  as  full  and  complete  a  descrip- 
tion as  possible ;  interview  the  mother  as  to  the  presumed  causes  which 
may  have  produced  the  abnormity,  and  send  the  same  to  the  State  Board 
of  Health  within  thirty  days.  In  the  case  of  a  congenital  deaf  child,  or 
an  epileptic,  which  cannot  be  known  at  its  birth,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of 
the  parents,  as  soon  as  they  discover  that  the  child  is  abnormal,  to  report 
it  to  the  State  Board  of  Health,  giving  date  of  birth,  for  the  purpose  of 
public  record. 

Be  it  further  enacted :  That  whenever  a  woman  applies  for  admission 
as  a  visitor  at  a  public  asylum,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  superintendent 
in  charge,  to  hand  such  a  person  a  circular  in  which  the  danger  to  any 
prospective  mother  Is  plainly  stated,  before  she  is  admitted  as  a  visitor 
to  the  wards. 


CONGENITAL  BLINDNESS  CAN  BE  PREVENTED.          147 

A  record  of  abnormal  cases  would  enable  the  public  to 
learn  the  cause  of  the  birth  of  blind  children,  as  well  as  other 
defects. 

The  following  cases  will  illustrate  what  ignorance  of  the 
effect  of  maternal  impressions  has  done  in  the  production  of 
blind  children;  and  will  also  illustrate  what  is  necessary  to 
teach  all  prospective  mothers,  and  how  easy  it  is  for  an  igno- 
rant mother  to  do  an  irreparable  injury  to  her  offspring: 

Mrs.  R.  of  "W.  gave  birth  to  a  blind  child.  It  was  ascer- 
tained that  within  the  year  preceding  its  birth,  she  visited 
the  blind  asylum  at  Janesville,  Wis.,  was  deeply  impressed 
by  the  blind  persons  she  saw  there.  Her  sympathies  were 
aroused  by  their  condition,  and  their  appearance  was  contin- 
ually in  her  mind.  She  was  not  aware  of  the  effect  it  would 
have  upon  her  prospective  child.  No  near  or  distant  relatives 
of  Mrs.  R.  are  blind,  on  either  side,  so  that  heredity  or  atav- 
ism cannot  be  a  factor  in  this  case. 

W.  C.  of  G.:  Born  blind  in  one  eye,  the  other  normal. 
The  blind  one  was  a  small  white  eyeball  without  any  pupil. 
Some  months  before  the  birth  of  this  child,  the  father  was  af- 
flicted with  sore  eyes.  The  mother  repeatedly  dressed  them, 
and  worried  over  her  husband's  lamentable  condition,  not 
alone  because  of  his  sufferings,  but  of  his  inability  to  provide 
for  his  family,  which  consisted  of  four  children,  all  with  sound 
eyes.  There  are  no  blind  ancestors  in  the  family. 

Mrs.  T.  of  M.,  a  number  of  months  before  the  birth  of  a 
child,  was  frying  sausage  meat,  a  particle  of  hot  fat  struck 
her  in  the  eye,  which  pained  her  severely  for  a  short  time,  like 
a  burn  or  a  scald;  it  was  enough  to  arrest  the  development. 
The  babe  was  born  with  one  defective  eye;  the  eye-ball  pro- 
truding so  much  as  to  disfigure  her.  This  was  her  second 
child,  the  first  and  the  four  children  born  later,  all  had  sound 
eyes.  There  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  the  child's  defective 
eye  was  the  result  of  maternal  impression  in  this  case. 

In  these  illustrations,  the  evidence  of  maternal  impres- 
sions is  so  positive  that  no  other  conclusion  as  to  the  cause, 


148  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

can  be  entertained.  If  those  mothers  had  been  taught  the 
danger  of  their  mental  impressions  to  the  child,  and  how  to 
overcome  the  arrested  development,  who  is  prepared  to  assert 
that  these  children  would  not  have  had  normal  eyes?  Re- 
verting to  the  impressions  of  Mrs.  R.  and  Mrs.  C.—  leaving 
out  that  of  Mrs.  T.,  as  that  was  caused  by  a  shock— Mrs.  R. 
with  her  sympathies  aroused  by  the  inmates  of  the  blind  asy- 
lum ;  and  Mrs.  C.  with  an  interest  in  her  husband  and  his 
sufferings.  It  is  surely  more  logical  to  assume  that  the  defective 
eyes  of  these  children  were  caused  by  pre-natal  impressions, 
than  to  base  the  phenomena  upon  the  theory  of  heredity  or 
atavism ;  that  it  was  a  strain  of  imperfect  organism  which 
came  down  from  somewhere — no  one  has  any  idea  where.  A 
rational  conclusion  is,  that  the  defects  were  caused  by  maternal 
impressions,  the  same  causes  which  produce  other  physical 
deformities  (birth-marks).  They  are  well  known  to  the  most 
illiterate  to  be  caused  by  the  mother's  mental  impressions 
while  the  child  is  in  a  formative  stage. 


THE  CONGENITAL  DEAF  AND  DUMB.  149 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  CONGENITAL   DEAF  AND   DUMB. 

"Facts  and  opinions  in  regard  to  the  deaf  in  America; 
hereditary  deafness — and  the  tendency,  from  the  intermar- 
riage of  deaf  mutes,  to  form  a  deaf  mute  variety,"  is  taken 
from  a  work  by  Prof.  Bell,  of  telephone  fame,  published  in 
1888.  It  says:  "The  investigation  was  begun  to  find  out  the 
cause  of  the  birth  of  deaf  mutes.  Circular  letters  were  sent 
to  the  principals  of  all  schools  for  the  deaf  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada." ' 

In  1880  there  were  12,155,  who  were  born  deaf,  reported 
in  the  census  of  the  United  States. 

It  was  claimed  by  some,  that  the  marriage  of  deaf  mutes 
would  produce  deaf  mutes,  but  that  theory  is  not  sustained 
by  any  proof  whatever.  The  superintendent  of  the  Illinois 
asylum  for  the  deaf  reports  a  striking  fact,  that  only  twelve 
out  of  the  four  hundred  and  fifty  inmates,  had  deaf  parents. 
Out  of  these  two  hundred  and  seventy-two  married  deaf 
persons,  twenty-one  married  those  not  deaf.  They  all  have 
children — some  of  them  large  families — and  the  total  is  six- 
teen deaf  children  in  the  entire  lot.  Some  have  one  deaf,  the 
rest  all  normal. 

The  superintendent  of  the  Minnesota  asylum  reports  that 
in  the  thirty-six  years  of  his  labors  among  the  deaf,  he  saw 
but  very  few  cases  of  the  deaf  transmitting  the  infirmity. 
Not  a  child  received  in  the  twenty-two  years  that  he  has  been 
there,  had  deaf  mute  parents. 


150  MATERXAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

The  Utah  superintendent  of  the  asylum  for  the  deaf,  re- 
ports that  he  does  not  know  of  a  case  of  deaf  parents  having 
deaf  mute  children. 

Prof.  Bell  came  to  no  conclusions  as  to  the  cause  of  the 
birth  of  deaf  mutes.  He  could  not  find  the  cause  and  makes 
a  statement  to  that  effect.  There  is  nothing  in  the  report  to 
show  that  Prof.  Bell  made  any  personal  investigation  at  the 
fountain  head;  that  is,  did  not  interview  any  of  the  mothers. 

There  is  very  strong  evidence  against  the  hereditary 
transmission  of  deafness,  which,  if  Prof.  Weismami  had 
added  to  his  argument,  would  have  made  a  powerful  case 
against  the  transmission  of  acquired  characters,  but  the  in- 
ference to  be  drawn  from  all  writers  upon  heredity,  is,  that 
they  depended  more  upon  laboratory  methods  and  their 
library,  than  upon  a  personal  investigation  of  the  individuals, 
or  of  the  family  history  and  the  influence  which  environment 
may  have  had  upon  the  mother  before  the  birth  of  her  deaf 
child. 

It  is  possible  to  prove  almost  anything  if  the  line  of  in- 
vestigation is  carefully  chosen,  and  then  restricted  to  that 
line.  After  proving  that  heredity  did  not  transmit  deafness, 
in  a  case  under  investigation,  then  to  neglect  to  find  out  how 
the  deafness  did  come  about,  leads  to  a  false  conclusion.  Up 
to  this  point  the  inquiry  and  the  result  only  corroborates  a 
fact,  and  would  be  the  same  as  if  a  deaf  mute  should  report 
that  he  was  not  deaf  at  birth,  and  should  stop  there.  That 
would  not  enlighten  the  investigator  as  to  the  cause  of  his 
infirmity;  so  that  in  all  the  investigations  of  the  problem,  all 
factors  should  be  considered;  the  neglect  to  examine  any  one 
of  them  may  lead  to  a  wrong  conclusion.  In  making  an  in- 
vestigation of  family  history  among  the  deaf  mutes,  there  is 
a  strange  reluctance  to  give  information,  and  there  are  others 
who  have  no  intelligent  knowledge,  or  idea,  as  to  the  cause  or 
the  circumstances  which  produced  the  infirmity. 

In  the  early  settlement  of  Kansas,  on  the  frontier,  a  colony 
of  deaf  mutes  was  started.  They  flocked  from  the  hills  of 


THE  COXGEXITAL  DEAF  AXD  DUMB.  151 

New  England,  from  the  plains  of  the  middle  states,  and  from 
the  sunny  south,  to  form  a  race  of  deaf  mutes.  The  colony 
had  a  deaf  mayor,  deaf  councilmen,  and  the  experiment 
seemed  likely  to  suceeed.  But  alas!  The  children  were 
mostly  normal.  Where  is  that  colony  now?  Ask  the  winds! 

According  to  heredity  the  intermarriage  of  deaf  mutes 
should  produce  a  race  of  deaf  mutes,  but  it  does  not.  The 
question  then  arises,  Why  not?  Why  is  the  law  of  heredity 
overthrown  or  hindered?  It  is  fair  and  logical  to  assume 
that  the  undiscovered  factor  which  every  writer  upon  heredity 
says  is  unknown,  the  missing  link  necessary  to  form  a  com- 
plete chain  of  logical  evidence,  is  the  mother's  mentality,  or 
maternal  impressions.  It  cannot  be  successfully  contradicted 
that  the  deaf  mute,  blind,  crippled,  and  idiotic  unfortunates, 
who  were  born  so,  are  the  result  of  a  violation  of  some 
natural  law.  It  may  have  been  a  conscious  or  an  unconscious 
violation  on  the  part  of  the  parent,  but  it  nevertheless  was 
an  interference,  or  there  would  not  have  been  anything  out 
of  the  usual  order  of  nature. 

A  case  of  the  birth  of  mutes  is  given  here.  The  writer 
called  on  the  family  of  Mr.  S.  M.,  of  A.,  Dec.  25,  1896.  They 
have  four  children.  The  two  oldest  can  hear  but  cannot  talk. 
They  make  guttural  sounds  which  they  understand.  The 
mother  said  that  before  the  birth  of  the  oldest,  a  cousin  was 
taken  sick  with  spinal  fever,  and  when  he  recovered,  had  lost 
his  speech;  it  worried  her  at  the  time.  It  is  easy  to  account 
for  the  second  boy,  as  the  mother  worried  over  the  fact  that 
her  first  child  could  not  talk.  Both  of  these  children  are 
bright  and  intelligent,  normal  in  every  other  way.  The  two 
younger  children,  a  boy  and  a  girl,  can  both  hear  and  talk. 
Not  a  single  member  of  the  family  on  either  side  of  the 
parents  but  is  normal.  Such  a  case  is  known  as  Aphasia.  I 
have  only  found  three  recorded  in  medical  literature. 

There  are  some  who  argue  that  the  disuse  of  the  organ  of 
hearing  may  be  the  cause  of  deafness,  but  that  argument  is 
illogical.  Excessive  use  might  be  the  cause  after  birth.  It 


152  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

certainly  could  not  produce  the  infirmity  before  the  child  was 
able  to  have  the  organs  of  hearing  affected  by  extraordinary 
noises  which  could  only  injure  the  drum  of  the  ear.  Such  an 
argument  would  be  011  the  line  of  maternal  impressions,  that 
the  mother  was  affected,  which  produced  the  infirmity  in  her 
offspring.  An  illustration  to  show  the  effect  of  maternal  im- 
pression as  the  cause  of  deafness:  Mrs.  C.  of  P.  was  called  to 
the  bedside  of  a  dying  sister  who  without  warning  was  stricken 
by  death.  She  was  perfectly  well  the  preceding  day.  As 
Mrs.  C.  arrived  at  the  home  and  stepped  to  the  bedside  of  the 
sister,  took  her  by  the  hand  and  spoke  to  her.  the  mother, 
who  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  bed,  said,  "She  cannot  hear  you, 
she  is  deaf."  Mrs.  C.  dropped  to  the  floor  unconscious,  that 
is.  fainted.  Five  months  later  a  child  was  born,  who  proved 
to  be  deaf,  unable  to  hear  a  single  word.  The  singular  part 
of  this  case  is:  That  this  deaf  child  can  hear  tapping  upon 
the  door,  or  stove  pipe,  when  she  is  in  any  part  of  the  house, 
she  can  hear  the  whistle  of  a  locomotive,  as  well  as  some  other 
noises.  What  are  the  deductions  in  this  case?  That  the 
mother's  mind  was  affected  by  the  fact  of  the. inability  of  her 
sister  to  hear  her  voice;  that  in  her  swoon  she  so  affected  the 
nerve  cells,  or  as  it  were,  arrested  the  development  of  those 
cells  which  govern  the  ability  to  distinguish  the  human  voice. 
But  it  did  not  wholly  destroy  the  cells,  through  which  she 
hears  other  sounds.  No  other  cause  than  mental  impression 
can  be  assigned. 


THE  TRAMP  PROBLEM. 


153 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE   TRAMP   PROBLEM. 
"Who  are  you?"  "I  am  a  product  of  our  Christian  civilization,  sir;  I  am  a  tramp.' 

The  tramp  problem  is  a  subject  which 
has  created  more  general  discussion,  and 
has  been  treated  with  greater  unanimity 
of  opinion  than  any  other  social  prob- 
lem. To  the  student  of  criminology,  as 
well  as  to  all  other  good  citizens,  it  is  a 
serious  question.  Public  meetings  are 
called,  and  the  subject  of  trampism  cre- 
ates an  interest  which  is  renewed  and 
intensified  by  every  recurring  outrage 
committed  by  some  of  these  vagabond- 
ish  characters. 

At  the  many  anti-tramp  conventions, 
the  usual  result  is  a  demand  that  they 
be  put  upon  the  rock  pile,  or  into  the 
work  houses,  to  commit  and  detain  them, 
and  the  cry  is,  "Make  them  earn  their 
living."    No  attempt  is  made,  or  sugges- 
tion given,  how  to  stop  the  supply,  and 
then    reform    those    who    are    already 
tramps,  if  it  is  possible  to  reform  them. 
I  do  not  believe  that  it  is  possible  to  reform  the  instinctive 
tramp,  any  more  than  the  instinctive  criminal  can  be  reformed. 
Many  schemes  are  set  011  foot  and  societies  organized,  to 


154  MATERXAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

enable  good  citizens  to  discriminate  between  those  who  are 
born  tramps  and  those  who  are  really  in  search  of  work.  So 
far  no  iron-clad  rule  has  been  found  which  will  enable  a  per- 
son to  judge  between  a  worthy  and  an  unworthy  case;  nor 
will  such  a  rule  ever  be  found  in  a  republic  where  passports 
are  unknown,  and  a  ticket  of  leave  is  illegal.  The  debatable 
question  is  not  how  to  stifle  the  beggar's  cry,  but  how  to  deal 
with  it.  Then  study  how  to  prevent  the  desire  to  tramp, 
which  will  of  itself  hush  the  beggar's  cry. 

Most  of  the  tramps  are  instinctively  lazy;  they  are  born 
with  a  desire  to  travel  and  get  a  living  without  work.  A 
noted  authority  upon  paupers  and  criminals,  a  class  to  which 
the  tramp  belongs,  says:  "All  efforts  to  improve  pauper  stock 
by  improving  the  surroundings,  is  fruitless  of  lasting  good," 
and  advises  "Elimination  as  the  only  possible  line  of  pro- 
gress." If  that  statement  is  correct  it  emphasizes  the  asser- 
tion that  the  law  of  ''Reversion  to  type"  is  a  fact  in  nature. 
He  says  further:  "The  reproduction  of  the  vicious  should  be 
prevented,  through  humane  custodial  care,  as  that  tends  to  a 
painless  extinction  of  undesirable  stock."  Such  statements 
are  echoed  and  re-echoed  at  all  meetings  of  organized  charit- 
able societies  and  anti-tramp  conventions.  One  thing  can  be 
said  in  its  favor,  it  is  more  humane  than  the  idea  often  heard 
in  private,  which  has  already  been  referred  to,  that  the  crim- 
inal should  be  subjected  to  a  surgical  operation.  There  is  no 
more  terrible  mistake  than  a  violation  of  what  is  eternally 
right,  for  the  sake  of  expediency.  No  act  can  be  for  the 
benefit  of  the  public,  which  involves  injustice  to  an  individual. 

In  a  work  entitled,  "Paupers  and  Relief-Giving  in  the 
United  States,"  are  some  startling  statements,  "that  one 
person  out  of  every  five,  is  an  inmate  of  an  Aims-House,  or 
is  assisted  by  some  charitable  organization  ....  That  one 
million  dollars  each  week  is  spent  by  the  different  states  for 
charity;  ....  One  person  in  ten  dies  a  pauper  in  New 
York  City ;  .  .  .  .  And  that  there  are  one  hundred  thousand 
tramps  in  the  United  States."  Each  day  the  doors  open  and 


THE  TRAMP  PROBLEM.  155 

close  upon  more  than  a  thousand  tramps  and  criminals,  and 
the  cry  is  heard.  "Our  prisons  are  bursting,  and  poor  houses 
overflowing."  Busy  citizens  give  no  heed  to  the  cause,  but 
leave  them  with  a  full  assurance,  that  they  are  better  off 
within  those  walls  than  our  Christian  world  allows  them  to 
enjoy  outside. 

A  question  of  great  importance  to  the  future  welfare  of 
the  nation  is,  "What  vocation  will  the  children  of  these  paup- 
ers follow?  Will  they  become  dependents  and  defective,  or  can 
they  be  made  self  sustaining?  How  shall  the  reforming  pro- 
cess be  carried  on?  If  there  is  no  hope  of  improving  the  pres- 
ent crop,  then  it  is  incumbent  upon  organized  society  to  im- 
prove the  coming  generation.  How  to  do  this,  is  the  problem 
which  confronts  the  sociologist  of  the  age. 

We  have  retreats  for  incorrigible  children,  who  become 
largely,  incorrigible  adults.  But  this  is  a  misnomer ;  they  should 
be  called  retreats  for  the  children  of  imperfectly  educated 
mothers,  and  it  will  be  found,  that  in  the  proper  education  of 
the  coming  mothers,  lies  the  means,  by  which  the  incorrigible 
children  will  become  a  small,  instead  of,  as  now,  a  large  factor 
in  the  weal  or  woe  of  the  commonwealth. 

"WANDERLUST," 

The  causes  which  lead  to  the  multiplication  of  the  genus 
homo,  known  as  tramps,  is  a  subject  for  many  newspaper  and 
magazine  articles,  and  in  no  case,  do  the  writers  suggest  any 
remedy,  or  give  the  cause.  It  is  true,  all  favor  some  sort  of 
punishment,  more  or  less  severe,  either  starvation  or  impris- 
onment. But  the  remedy  which  seems  to  recieve  the  ap- 
plause of  shallow  minds  is,  to  push  the  tramp  along  to  the  next 
town. 

An  Atlantic  Monthly  writer,  in  an  article  entitled  "Wan- 
derlust" says  that  he  has  been  studying  the  child  tramps,  and 
relates  his  experience  with  them.  He  says  the  cause  is  wholly 
psycological  and  calls  it  Wanderlust,  which  is  the  German  for 
love  of  wandering,  or  going  some  where.  "Often  caused  by 


156  MATERXAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

the  reading  of  dime  novels,  tales  of  adventure,  and  detec- 
tive stories,  which  they  greedily  devour."  The  Atlantic 
writer  speaks  of  one  "Little  chap,"  who  visited  a  certain  sec- 
tion of  country  every  six  weeks  for  three  years,  but  he  would 
evade  all  attempts  to  find  out  about  his  home  and  friends,  or 
the  cause  of  his  wanderings.  This  child  would  ride  alone  in 
box  cars,  and  was  a  notable  exception  to  his  class.  As  a  rule 
these  nomads  take  great  pleasure  in  talking  to  strangers,  but 
are  very  careful  to  say  but  little  of  themselves.  An  old  tramp 
said,  "We  have  the  railroad  fever,"  and  the  writer  in  the 
Monthly  agrees  with  that  theory,  but  prefers  to  call  it  "Wan- 
derlust." They  want  to  travel,  go  out  into  the  world;  after  a 
few  weeks  they  run  home,  until  the  mood  seizes  them  and 
they  run  away  again.  He  became  well  acquainted  with  some 
of  them,  they  were  not  "tough,"  but  had  a  passion  to  see 
things;  mentions  a  child  who  had  as  nice  a  home  as  could  be 
wished,  the  strange  passion  would  take  possession  of  him, 
sometimes  as  often  as  once  a  month,  and  he  would  run  away. 
When  he  seemed  most  docile  a  thought  of  the  outside  world 
would  take  possession  of  him,  ( it  may  have  been  caused  by 
the  whistle  of  an  incoming  train),  and  he  would  scamper  to 
the  depot,  and  off. 

The  writer  of  the  magazine  article  referred  to,  came  to  the 
conclusion  after  close  study,  that  "There  is  110  use  in  whip- 
ping such  children,  they  are  not  to  blame,  and  can  no  more 
resist  the  desire  to  go,  than  they  can  help  breathing." 

"Individuals  are  th«  slaves  of  their  desires,  and  are  helpless  in  its  toils." 

The  magazine  writer  referred  to  does  not  assign  any  other 
reason  than  the  uiicontrolable  passion  to  go  somewhere.  There 
must  be  a  cause  for  this  intense  desire  to  go,  as  there  is  no 
effect  without  a  cause,  but  none  of  the  writers  upon  the  tramp 
question,  give  a  hint,  or  suggest  any  plan  which  will  enable 
one  to  begin  a  study  of  the  mania  to  wander.  When  a  tramp 
was  asked  "Who  are  you?"  The  answer  was  significant:  "I 
am  a  product  of  our  Christian  civilization,  sir:  I  am  a  tramp." 


THE  TRAMP  PROBLEM.  157 

It  was  a  picture  long  to  be  remembered,  this  spectacle  of  want 
beseeching  plenty. 

The  author  of  Wanderlust  has  not,  nor  have  any  other 
writers,  fathomed  the  reason  for  this  intense  desire  to  wander. 
He  suggests  that  the  tramp  should  be  treated  by  the  medical 
fraternity,  pathologically;  that  is,  as  diseased.  As  well  treat 
a  congenital  criminal  to  a  dose  of  physic,  to  put  more  good 
brain  substance  into  his  head,  or  give  an  emetic  to  force  a 
hand  to  grow,  when  a  man  is  born  minus  a  hand,  as  to  treat 
the  mania  for  wandering,  by  injecting  doses  of  medicine  into 
the  subject,  on  the  plan  of  the  "Keely  cure." 

It  is  singular  that  our  wise  men  and  women  ovelook  the 
fact  that  tramps  are  born  wanderers;  that  the  difficulty  is  in 
the  brain  formation,  and  their  tendency  is  to  wander;  to  lead 
vagabond  lives.  Our  doctors,  law  makers,  and  police  systems. 
are  powerless  to  change  the  brain  structure  of  such  persons. 

The  authorities  of  Boston,  Mass.,  in  1895,  claimed  that  they 
had  solved  the  tramp  question,  and  they  think  it  is  proven  by 
the  fact  that  there  were  8,000  less  applications  for  relief  at 
"Wayfarers  Inn,"  where  the  applicant  for  relief  must  work 
for  his  board.  And  Boston  calls  that  convincing  proof.  To 
a  thinker,  this  does  not  prove  anything,  except  that  the  tramp 
has  been  able  to  get  his  meals  without  working  at  the  above 
or  some  other  inn.  But  the  statement  is  applauded  by  super- 
ficial thinkers.  This  does  not  cure  the  tramp,  it  simply  puts 
the  burden  of  his  relief  upon  some  other  community. 

A  few  leading  scientists  recognize  the  impossibility  of  re- 
forming the  congenital  murderer  or  thief,  but  they  ignore  all 
who  are  guilty  of  minor  offenses  against  society ;  all  the  lesser 
misdemeanors  are  charged  to  environment.  They  have  noth- 
ing to  offer  except  more  preaching  and  praying,  in  connection 
with  a  broader  humanitarian  work.  All  such  work  is  temp- 
orary. If  a  boy  is  born  with  a  brain  so  constructed  that  it 
will  develop  a  love  of  wandering,  and  a  desire  for  new  scenes 
and  acquaintances,  no  environment,  no  medical  treatment,  will 
cure  him,  nor  will  any  punishment  change  that  innate  desire. 


158  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

The  writer  to  whom  reference  has  been  made,  says  the 
boy  that  he  kne^,  who  had  a  good  home,  outgrew  the  desire 
to  run  away.  He  is  reckoning  without  complete  data;  he 
will  find,  if  a  careful  record  is  kept,  that  as  the  boy  grows  to 
manhood  he  will  make  very  frivolous  excuses  to  enable  him 
to  leave  his  business  much  oftener  than  there  is  any  need. 

Mr.  C.  of  W.  says,  from  childhood  he  has  always  had 
an  uncontrolable  desire  to  run  away  from  home,  and  related 
an  instance:  When  fifteen  years  of  age  he  worked  in  his 
father's  store;  at  dinner  his  father  told  him  to  take  a  team 
and  drive  to  the  farm  for  a  load.  After  dinner  he  went  to 
his  room,  changed  his  clothes  and  left,  and  did  not  return  for 
seven  years.  He  is  now  a  commercial  traveler,  and  is  positive 
that  if  he  were  located  he  could  not  remain  at  home.  He 
cannot  account  for  his  desire  to  go  away  from  home.  Says 
he  could  not  control  it  nor  could  he  tell  why  he  would  leave — 
could  never  give  any  reason  for  it.  This  inborn  desire  to  go; 
to  visit  new  and  strange  places;  is  no  doubt  caused  by  the 
mother's  longing  to  go  while  she  is  forming  the  brain  of  her 
prospective  child,  and  when  to  this  wanderlust  is  added,  (con- 
genitally,  or  through  environment),  theft,  licentiousness,  mur- 
der, and  drink,  we  have  the  inciting  cause  of  the  many  vi- 
cious tramps.  That  some  of  the  older  tramps,  not  the  child 
tramps,  have  become  so  by  environment,  that  is,  lack  of  em- 
ployment, or  depraved  companions,  there  is  no  question,  and 
all  such  can  be  cured  by  a  reversal  of  the  environment  which 
made  them  tramps;  but  the  vast  majority  are  not  to  blame, 
nor  can  they  be  cured.  The  man  who  asks  for  work,  and  is 
willing  to  work,  as  long  as  there  is  any  work  to  be  had,  is  a 
tramp  because  of  environment.  The  problem  is,  What  has 
created  this  wanderlust  brain?  If  the  prospective  mother  is 
constantly  longing  to  go  somewhere,  or  to  visit  places  where 
she  has,  or  has  not  been,  and  does  not  counteract  that  long- 
ing, she  must  of  necessity  be  forming  a  brain  on  that  line; 
and  it  is  no  wonder  that  her  child  has  an  innate  desire  to  go 
somewhere. 


THE  TRAMP  PROBLEM.  159 

When  we  consider  the  vast  army  of  commercial  travelers, 
the  many  business  men,  the  many  railroad  employees,  contin- 
ually on  the  go,  the  wife  at  home  under  the  conditions  we  are 
investigating,  longing  to  go  with,  or  to  be  with  her  husband 
when  he  journeys  to  a  distant  place,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered 
at  that  the  child  is  born  with  that  abnormal  desire  to  go.  This 
intense  desire  on  the  part  of  the  mother,  at  such  a  time,  must 
produce  a  brain  structure  that  will  impel  its  possessor  to  keep 
going,  if  not  all  the  time,  then  at  least  when  the  desire  seizes 
him.  Here  is  found  the  fundamental  cause  of  "Wanderlust." 
If  the  brain  of  an  individual  is  so  constructed  that  the  love 
of  home,  and  the  desire  to  be  at  home,  is  stronger  than  the 
love  of  wandering,  that  person  will  have  no  desire  to  tramp, 
and  there  are  many  who  prefer  home,  who  are  uneasy,  unset- 
tled, dissatisfied  when  away  from  home.  Such  persons  can 
never  become  tramps.  This  is  our  answer,  as  to  the  cause  of 
"Wanderlust."  Again  we  say  it  is  very  singular  that  our 
educators,  who  are  laboring  to  elevate  the  class  known  as 
tramps,  have  not  solved  the  problem,  which  is  plain  to  any 
thinker,  as  soon  as  he  gives  a  few  moments  thoughtful  con- 
sideration to  the  subject. 


160  MATERXAL  IMPRESSIONS. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

MONEY  MAKING  MANIA. 

The  money-making  mania  seems  to  be  increasing,  and  the 
desire  to  accumulate  gold,  stocks,  bonds,  and  all  the  various 
forms  of  wealth,  pervades  the  very  air  of  the  large  centers  of 
commerce.  All  classes  seem  to  be  permeated  with  an  intense 
mania  to  acquire  wealth,  and  many  of  the  female  portion  of 
organized  society  are  becoming  more  and  more  infatuated 
with  a  desire  to  gamble.  Not  only  in  what  is  known  as  a 
friendly  game  of  cards,  but  it  has  grown  to  such  an  extent 
that  it  has  become  a  regular  business  to  provide  offices  where 
women  only  are  admitted,  and  where  they  can  "put  or  call"  (a 
slang  phrase  of  the  stock  market),  purchase  or  sell  any  stock 
that  they  desire  to  their  hearts'  content,  or  the  condition  of 
their  finances  may  permit;  where  elegantly  appointed  rooms 
are  furnished  with  lady  operators  in  charge  to  wait  upon  them. 

These  women  are  not  of  that  class  who  are  interested  in 
the  home,  or  in  the  affairs  of  the  public,  that  is,  not  wage 
earners.  They  are  usually  the  idle,  unthinking,  heedless 
daughters,  sisters,  or  wives,  of  the  well  to  do,  or  partially  suc- 
cessful business  men. 

What  is  the  cause  of  the  growth  of  this  speculative  mania? 
Our  theory  is,  that  the  prospective  mother,  who  overhears  the 
exciting  stories  of  the  day's  success  in  making  money  on  the 
Board  of  Trade,  which  engrosses  the  mind  of  husband,  father, 
or  brother,  and  the  plans  which  are  formed  for  a  further  ac- 
cumulation of  wealth  in  her  hearing,  necessarily  influences 


MONEY  MAKING  MAXIA.  161 

the  mentality  of  her  unborn  child,  just  as  if  the  mother  should 
every  night  listen  to  a  good  musician,  she  would  produce  a 
musical  brain,  always  premising  that  it  would  affect  the 
bright,  keen-witted  woman  to  a  greater  extent  than  one  of  a 
sluggish  mentality,  and  its  effect  would  be  in  proportion  to 
the  interest  she  would  take  in  the  subject. 

Such  environment  creates  a  desire  on  the  part  of  the 
mother  to  do  as  the  husband,  father  or  brother  does,  specu- 
late, so  she  could  have  the  money  she  needs,  without  asking 
for  it.  The  spirit  of  speculation  and  greed  has  become  a  ma- 
nia with  some  men,  and  that  their  wives,  sisters,  and  mothers 
should  imbibe  the  spirit,  is  not  at  all  surprising,  and  its  bane- 
ful effect  upon  the  offspring  of  such  mothers  must  be  serious; 
necessarily  injurious,  in  that  sense,  to  the  mental  and  moral 
welfare  of  the  individual,  and  through  the  individual,  society 
as  a  whole  is  injured. 

All  classes  that  are  permeated  by  this  desire  for  gain,  to 
the  exclusion  of  other  subjects,  become  in  one  sense  gamblers, 
in  their  habits  and  notions,  and  the  careful  observer  can  pick 
out  the  men  whose  minds  are  absorbed  in  schemes  of  money- 
getting.  It  would  shock  some  of  them  if  they  were  charged 
with  trying  to  "get  something  for  nothing."  In  the  abstract 
that  is  just  what  it  is.  The  speculator  is  always  a  gambler  in 
spirit. 

Why  is  this  desire  increasing?  Its  growth  cannot  be  com- 
puted. The  impelling  motive  is  well  worth  the  investigation 
of  the  student  of  causation,  and  its  solution,  with  the  lessons 
drawn  from  it,  may  be  the  means  of  preventing  a  further  in- 
crease of  this  vice.  How?  By  curtailing  the  production  of 
such  as  would  have  a  desire  to  gamble,  and  in  their  stead  pro- 
duce normal  brain  structures. 

It  will  no  doubt  surprise  some  so-called  reformers,  who 
flatter  themselves  that  the  world  is  growing  better,  but  are  at 
times  puzzled  to  know  why  their  efforts  seem  to  be  futile,  and 
who  think  our  country  is  not  as  bad  as  some  other  countries. 
We  say  it  must  astonish  them  when  they  read  the  report  taken 


162  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

from  the  New  York  Sun,  that  "To  satisfy  the  gambling  in- 
stincts of  the  people  in  this  country,  there  are  poker  chips 
enough  made  in  the  United  States  each  year  to  make  a  stack, 
if  placed  one  upon  another,  sixty  miles  high,  and  if  laid  edge 
to  edge  would  reach  the  entire  length  of  the  Erie  canal  and 
back,  with  enough  over  to  supply  one  hundred  gambling 
houses.  It  is  estimated  that  there  are  250,000,000  poker 
chips  in  use,  nearly  all  of  which  represent  coin,  in  games 
of  chance."  "The  gambling  instinct  is  becoming  natural  to 
Americans." 

We  unhesitatingly  assert  that  the  ante-natal  condition  of 
the  mother's  mind  impresses  the  brain  structure  of  her  off- 
spring, and  in  that  manner  so  many  are  afflicted  with  the 
gambling  mania.  Are  we  not  touching  the  root  of  this  mat- 
ter when  we  say  that  the  mother  is  to  blame,  although  she 
may  be  ignorant  of  the  fact?  By  her  desire  to  do  as  her  hus- 
band, father,  or  brother  does,  to  which  we  referred  in  the 
opening  of  the  argument,  this  mania  to  get  something  for 
nothing,  which  she  longs  for,  so  impresses  the  prospective 
mother's  mind,  that  she  produces  a  brain  formation  in  her 
child,  whose  whole  desire  will  be  to  acquire  wealth  in  some 
manner,  honestly  if  possible ;  if  not  honestly,  to  get  it  somehow. 

That  the  mania  for  gambling  is  increasing,  is  a  fact  which 
is  evident  to  one  who  is  much  among  strangers  and  who  visits 
the  various  towns  and  cities  in  the  land.  It  is  noticeable  in 
the  hotels,  on  the  trains,  lake,  river,  and  ocean  steamers,  as 
well  as  in  public  gambling  resorts,  and  even  in  the  privacy  of 
the  home.  It  can  be  seen  in  the  streets,  in  the  spirit  displayed 
by  the  boy  who  is  so  eager  to  win  marbles ;  he  has  the  spirit 
of  "get  something  for  nothing"  in  him;  men  who  have  a  desire 
to  win  by  the  turn  of  a  card;  others  who  bet  upon  a  horse 
race,  bicycle  match,  etc.,  and  who  will  bet  upon  the  wheel  of 
fortune  at  a  country  fair,  play  policy,  buy  lottery  tickets,  or 
options  upon  wheat  or  corn,  and  the  staple  subject  of  conver- 
sation among  such  men  is  speculation.  In  a  milder  form  it  is 
seen  at  the  church  fairs  and  sociables,  by  the  simple  "grab 


MONEY  MAKING  MAXIA.  163 

bag,"  and  "ring  cake."     It  is  the  same  spirit — a  desire  to  get 
a  large  amount  for  a  small  sum. 

Many  who  have  this  innate  desire  strongly  impressed,  will 
bet  upon  the  most  frivolous  things.  They  may  be  in  all  other 
respects  very  conscientious,  but  do  not  hesitate  to  take  "some- 
thing for  nothing,"  if  it  can  be  gained  in  betting. 

In  illustration  of  what  the  peculiar  brain  formation  of 
some  men  will  lead  to,  the  following  case  is  given.  The  writer 
was  personally  acquainted  with  the  entire  family:  W.  S.  of 
N.  Y.  was  an  inveterate  faro  player;  would  risk  all  he  could 
earn  or  borrow  at  the  faro  table,  and  would,  when  out  of  funds 
—which  was  the  largest  part  of  the  time — spend  hours  with  a 
faro  box  in  his  hand  dealing  the  cards,  studying,  as  he  said, 
the  combination,  like  those  who  play  solitaire.  His  idea  was 
to  learn  how  to  beat  the  bank.  But  he  would  not  bet  upon 
any  other  game  of  chance;  was  thoroughly  opposed  to  all 
schemes  where  the  element  of  chance  was  a  factor;  insisted 
that  all  games  such  as  whist  or  euchre,  even  chess,  was  foolish 
and  a  waste  of  time. 

At  one  time  when  he  was  out  of  funds,  and  had  no  work, 
(his  nearest  relatives  refused  to  assist  him  any  longer),  he 
induced  his  uncle  to  purchase  a  horse  and  dray,  giving  a  note 
for  it  and  promised  not  to  play  faro  any  more.  He  drove  it 
about  a  week,  sold  the  outfit,  and  the  same  night  lost  every 
cent  of  it  at  a  faro  bank.  In  every  other  respect  he  was  a 
model  of  virtue,  conscientious  in  the  extreme,  and  a  devout 
worker  in  the  cause  of  religion.  Every  Sunday  he  would  as- 
sist an  itinerant  evangelist  in  his  work  on  the  street  corners, 
on  the  plan  of  the  Salvation  Army.  He  would  read  the  bible 
and  pray,  then  the  preacher  would  take  the  stand  and  exhort 
the  crowd.  He  was  also  a  strict  tetotaller,  was  never  known 
to  drink  a  glass  of  beer  or  liquor  of  any  kind;  he  was  the  only 
total  abstainer  in  the  family.  The  mother,  a  very  fine  woman, 
never  refused  to  drink  a  glass  of  wine,  and  often  laughed  at 
her  son's  peculiarities.  She  had  two  younger  sons,  who  were 


164  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

not  temperance  men,  nor  hard  drinkers — they  died  at  about 
the  age  of  forty — nor  were  they  in  any  sense  religious. 

This  case  cannot  be  attributed  to  heredity  or  to  environ- 
ment, and  if  charged  to  atavism,  it  could  not  be  sustained 
from  the  fact  that  the  parents  were  Germans,  and  not  one  of 
their  ancestors  were  ever  known  to  be  either  gamblers  or  te- 
totallers.  The  father  was  somewhat  of  a  drinker.  He  would 
always  keep,  as  it  is  called,  "blue  Monday,"  that  is,  would 
never  work  at  his  trade  on  Mondays,  but  would  visit  a  neigh- 
boring saloon  for  the  entire  day. 

The  question  may  be  asked,  How  did  you  arrive  at  the 
conclusion  that  pre-natal  influence,  was  the  controlling  fac- 
tor in  this  case?  To  which  the  answer,  is: 

First — It  was  that  mother's  first  child.  Before  his  birth 
she  was  disgusted  at  her  husband's  weekly  "blue  Monday" 
saloon  visitation.  This  formed  the  temperance  ideas  or 
shaped  the  brain  function  which  governed  that  idea.  As  to 
the  craze  for  faro  playing,  we  have  no  theory,  unless  it  was 
caused  by  a  desire,  or  wish  that  she  could  win  money  by 
playing  faro,  as  her  husband  made  faro  boxes  for  gamblers, 
and  the  reports  of  the  wealth  which  was  acquired  by  such 
persons,  whom  she  very  often  saw,  as  her  husband's  work  was 
done  at  home,  impressed  her  with  a  desire  to  win  at  faro. 

Second — Her  first  son's  pious  cast  of  mind  was  caused  by 
the  mother's  religious  ideas.  She  had  been  a  church  com- 
municant in  early  life,  and  had  pleaded  with  her  husband  to 
become  a  Christian.  Later  she  became  lukewarm,  and  rarely 
ever  went  to  church,  so  that  her  younger  sons  did  not  imbibe 
the  religious  spirit  of  the  first  born. 

All  the  known  facts  point  to  the  conclusions  which  are 
given  here,  and  this  is  related  to  show  what  peculiar  charac- 
ters can  be  found  in  humanity.  The  parents  are  dead,  but 
the  evidence  clearly  points  to  maternal  impression  as  the  fac- 
tor, in  producing. a  child  with  such  peculiar  traits. 


FAULT  FINDING  AND  FRETTING.  165 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

FAULT   FINDING   AND   FRETTING. 

One  of  the  most  disagreeable  characteristics  of  the  age, 
which  is  found  among  all  classes  and  conditions,  from  the 
lowest  and  most  illiterate  to  the  highest  and  best  educated, 
in  a  greater  or  lesser  degree,  is  that  of  fretting  over  all  the 
daily  affairs  of  our  lives,  and  in  its  essence,  is  fault  finding. 

It  is  as  common  as  the  air  we  breathe,  so  universal  that 
unless  it  is  unusually  pronounced  in  an  individual  it  is  hard- 
ly noticed.  The  cry  is  heard  continually,  it  is  so  hot!  or  it  is 
so  cold!  The  weather  is  very  bad!  and  so  on,  ad  infinitum. 

We  are  reminded  of  the  old  gentleman  who  always  met  his 
friends  with,  "This  is  a  fine  morning,  bless  the  Lord,"  or 
"This  is  a  disagreeable  day,  bless  the  Lord."  No  matter  what 
kind  or  quality  of  the  weather  it  was,  it  was  always  "Bless  the 
Lord."  He  must  have  been  a  philosopher,  from  the  fact  that  he 
knew  no  amount  of  grumbling  or  fault-finding  could  possibly 
change  it,  whatever  the  effect  may  be  upon  human  affairs. 

The  lesson  taught  in  the  above  incident  sank  deep  into  the 
heart  of  one  person  whom  we  know,  and  is  reproduced  in  the 
hope  that  it  will  benefit  others. 

To  the  class  of  fretters,  belong  those  mothers  who  are  con- 
tinually crying  to  their  children,  Don't!  Don't!  and  it  teaches 
them  to,  and  they  generally  do,  echo  the  cry.  Some  of  this 
fault-finding  spirit  may  be  only  a  habit  which  has  become 
ingrained  in  a  person  through  environment,  by  the  repetition 
of  the  fretful  remarks  of  what  may  be  termed  "nagging 


166  MATEKXAL  LMPRESSIOXS. 

women."  But  by  far  the  larger  majority  are  born  so.  This 
is  proven  by  the  many  fretful  children,  who  show  their  dis- 
positions before  they  are  really  conscious  of  their  surround- 
ings, unless  caused  by  sickness  or  pain.  But  a  sick  child,  like 
a  sick  grown  person,  is  apt  to  be  quiet,  and  not  cross.  How 
often  it  is  heard  of  a  child,  that  it  is  always  "good."  To 
some  mothers  it  seems  uncommon  for  a  child  to  be  natural. 
It  would  be  very  unnatural  and  a  great  curiosity,  to  see 
a  litter  of  kittens,  with  one  or  two  of  them  running  around 
with  the  fur  on  end,  spitting  and  clawing  at  each  movement. 
That  is  just  what  a  cross  baby  does  in  a  human  manner. 

In  the  case  of  a  cross  child,  it  is  fair  to  assume  that  the 
mother  is  naturally  peevish  and  fretful ;  where  that  is  the  case, 
some  would  call  it  heredity,  but  if  contrary  to  the  mother's 
general  disposition,  they  might  call  it  atavism.  But  we  pre- 
fer to  call  it  maternal  impression;  pre-natal  influence,  and 
cite  cases  to  illustrate  and  prove  the  theory. 

Mrs.  R.,  of  I.,  is  a  woman  of  very  good  traits,  kindly  dis- 
posed, and  well  educated;  her  parents  are  of  similar  nature. 
When  Mrs.  R.  became  aware  that  she  was  to  become  a  mother, 
she  was  vexed  and  angry  to  think  that  she  would  be  com- 
pelled to  give  up  the  social  pleasures  which  she  found  so 
agreeable,  as  she  was  always  a  welcome  addition  to  the  social 
circle.  Her  child  was  cross,  ugly  and  very  ill-natured  from 
the  day  of  its  birth.  Its  irritable,  fretful  disposition,  was 
caused  by  the  mother's  mental  condition  previous  to  its  birth. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  pre-natal  influence  was  the  cause 
of  this  child's  disposition,  as  Mrs.  R's  second  child,  born  two 
years  later,  is  of  the  average;  that  is,  is  not  cross  and  peevish 
like  the  first  one.  The  mother  admits  that  she  was  reconciled 
to  her  condition  in  the  second  case,  and  the  lesson  she  had 
learned  in  the  first  case  was  a  warning  to  her  which  she 
heeded. 

Another  case  is  given:  Mrs.  R,  of  M.,  has  three  sons,  the 
oldest,  a  clergyman,  the  second,  a  railroad  conductor,  the  next, 
a  commercial  traveler.  The  first  and  last,  are  of  the  average 


FAULT  FINDING  AND  FRETTING.  167 

good  nature.  The  second  son  is  of  a  mean,  surly,  cross  dis- 
position; seems  to  be  at  enmity  with  everybody,  and  will 
fight  upon  the  slightest  provocation.  The  mother  says,  when 
she  found  she  was  to  become  a  mother  the  second  time,  she 
was  very  much  put  out  over  it,  and  was  angry  to  think  she 
was  compelled  to  go  through  the  pangs  of  maternity  again. 
Before  the  advent  of  her  third  son,  she  had  learned  of  the 
effect  of  maternal  impressions.  This  case  was  related  to  the 
writer  by  the  third  son,  who  stated  that  his  mother  had  told 
him  the  circumstances  when  he  married,  and  warned  him  and 
his  wife.  Again,  in  this  instance,  maternal  impression  was 
the  prime  factor,  in  setting  aside  the  law  of  heredity,  as  it  is 
generally  understood,  and  the  acquired,  unnatural  trait  of  the 
mother  was  transmitted  to  her  offspring. 

At  the  risk  of  becoming  tedious,  we  add  another  case, 
which  differs  from  either  of  these  two.  The  following  was 
related  by  the  father,  who  said:  "When  my  wife  became 
aware  that  she  was  to  become  a  mother  for  the  second  time, 
she  cried  over  it,  and  I  pleaded  with  her,  not  to  worry  about 
it,  we  could  take  care  of  it."  The  child,  which  is  now  eight 
years  old,  will  once  in  a  while,  when  the  father  is  reading, 
come  up  to  him,  throw  her  arms  around  his  neck  and  say: 
"Papa,  I  feel  just  as  though  I  must  cry."  "What  for, 
daughter?"  "I  do  not  know,  papa,  but  I  feel  just  as  though  I 
must." 

One  who  cannot  see  how  accurately  such  peculiarities  are 
directly  traceable  to  the  mother's  mental  condition,  or  pre- 
natal influence,  is  either  too  obtuse,  or  prejudiced  in  favor  of 
pre-conceived  notions  to  waste  any  time  over. 


168 


MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 


CHAPTER  XX 

VARIETIES   IN  TWINS. 

A  study  of  the  cause  of 
varieties  in  twins,  is  per- 
haps the  most  difficult  of 
all  phenomena  on  the  line 
of  Materology,  it  being  so 
complex  in  its  nature,  and  is 
wholly  hypothetical;  that 
is  to  say,  it  is  pure  guess- 
work, and  the  mother  of 
twins  can  give  no  explana- 
tion as  to  when  she  had 
impressions  of  one  kind  or  longings  of  another  kind  which 
were  entirely  different. 

But  to  the  question ;  Why  are  twins  so  different,  who  are 
born  of  the  same  father  and  mother,  with  the  same  heredity, 
and  identical  environment,  born  under  what  seems  to  the 
superficial  observer,  exactly  the  same  circumstances? 

To  illustrate:  One  of •  them  is  a  fat  chubby-faced  girl, 
with  a  peach  bloom  countenance,  her  brown  hair  hanging  in 
tangled  curls,  dress  plastered  with  mud,  shoes  untied,  and  one 
shoe  string  gone,  one  pantlet  torn  off,  the  other  rolled  up  to 
her  knee,  while  she  is  busy  making  mud  pies.  She  will  be- 
come, if  properly  trained,  a  first-class  cook,  as  her  playing 
cook  clearly  demonstrates.  It  is  just  such  a  character,  as  is 
often  seen  swinging  011  the  gate,  or  romping  in  the  street. 


VARIETIES  IN  TWIXS.  169 

Her  twin  sister,  is  trim  and  graceful  in  action,  cleanly  and 
always  neat  in  appearance,  precise  in  the  use  of  language, 
hair  always  in  order,  her  whole  demeanor,  with  her  likes  and 
dislikes,  proves  that  she  is  of  an  entirely  different  mentality, 
and  needs  to  be  trained  on  seperate  lines,  in  a  different  men- 
tal atmosphere.  These  sisters  have  nothing  in  common.  One 
develops  into  the  fine-haired  woman  of  fashion,  thoroughly 
heartless,  caring  only  for  self.  The  other  becomes  a  busy, 
bustling,  motherly  woman,  adding  daily  to  the  comfort  of 
those  around  her,  and  is  always  ready  to  lend  a  helping  hand 
whenever  her  assistance  is  needed.  Or,  if  these  twins  are  boys, 
one  will  listen  to  and  heed  the  admonition  of  his  parents  or 
teachers,  and  prefers  only  that  which  is  pure  and  noble,  is 
full  of  zeal,  has  a  dislike  for  any  wrong,  is  kind  and  forgiving, 
his  whole  nature,  gentle.  He  will  preach  and  practice  mor- 
ality until  the  day  of  his  death,  with  no  expectation  of  present 
reward,  except  the  consciousness  of  having  done  his  duty. 
The  twin  brother,  with  the  same  factors  and  the  same  en- 
vironment, so  far  as  can  be  seen,  looks  only  to  selfish  enjoy- 
ment, to  the  gratification  of  his  personal  desires,  and  cares 
nothing  for  others'  feelings  or  welfare.  His  conscience  never 
troubles  him;  he  is  surcharged  with  unbelief,  has  no  con- 
ception of  justice  toward  man  or  beast,  and  is  unable  to  com- 
prehend the  morality  of  the  brother  who  is  trying  to  "Do 
unto  others  as  he  would  be  done  by."  He  is  cruel,  and  vin- 
dictive in  his  nature;  his  brain  structure  of  an  entirely  dif- 
ferent mould. 

Why  are  these  twins  so  varied  if  heredity  is  the  all  pow- 
erful factor?  Nor  does  the  theory  of  atavism  explain  it.  To 
say  it  is  their  differing  natures,  and  then  look  wise,  is  a  cheap 
and  easy  way  to  dodge  the  question,  of  cause,  and  is  as  lucid 
as  it  would  be  to  say  that  liquor  makes  a  man  drunk  because 
it  intoxicates.  With  such  an  answer,  the  question  remains 
unsolved.  Why  this  difference  in  these  twins?  They  should 
be  alike,  according  to  the  theory  of  heredity.  Alike  in  taste, 
feeling,  desires,  expression  and  in  features.  But  it  is  rare  to 


170  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

find  them  so,  not  even  the  Siamese  twins,  who  have  been  al- 
luded to.  They  were  not  alike.  It  is  true,  there  are  cases  in 
which  is  found  a  very  close  and  marked  resemblance.  But  in 
all  such  phenomena  the  mother  is  never  at  fault  as  to  which 
is  one  or  the  other,  and  as  the  children  grow  older  the  close 
observer  or  friend  instantly  recognizes  John  or  Joe,  Mary  or 
Ellen.  If  the  cause  of  the  variation  in  twins  is  looked  for  in 
the  many  voluminous  books  written  by  learned  men,  not  a 
line  or  hint  will  be  found  to  assist  in  solving  the  problem. 
But  if  the  student  will  "Invent  a  little  common  sense,"  and 
look  for  some  other  factor,  besides  heredity  or  atavism,  a  clue 
may  be  found. 

Suppose  the  hypothesis  is  formulated,  that  the  weight 
and  position  of  the  brain  structure  of  these  twins,  could  be 
examined  before  birth,  it  would  be  found,  that  at  no  time  are 
they  of  exactly  the  same  weight,  strength,  or  structure,  and 
also  assume  that  on  one  day  the  mother  has  a  strong  mental 
impression,  which  corresponds  to,  and  which  develops  the 
peculiar  trait  in  one  of  those  twins  after  birth.  That  im- 
pression is  imparted  to  the  weakest  or  lightest  brain,  as  force 
follows  the  line  of  least  resistance,  and  mind  is  force.  The 
next  day  or  week,  that  mother  has  a  strong  mental  impression 
which  is  of  an  entirely  different  character,  she  impresses  it 
upon  the  other  brain  which  happens  to  be  the  weakest  at  that 
time.  Or,  take  another  view, — say  that  the  mental  action  of 
the  mother  at  a  particular  time,  changes,  adds  to,  or  retards 
the  brain  formation  of  that  twin  whose  brain  structure  is 
nearest  to  the  mother's  nerve  center.  The  position  of  the 
brains  of  these  prospective  twins  is  continually  changing,  and 
the  next  day  or  the  next  week  the  other  structure  is  nearest, 
and  it  receives  an  entirely  different  impression.  Or,  still 
another  hypothesis:  Assume  that  the  mother's  and  father's 
mental  and  moral  character — composite,  as  it  were — is  pro- 
duced in  one  of  the  twins,  and  its  brain  structure  is  normal, 
with  heredity  as  the  controlling  factor.  The  other  brain 
structure  being  the  weakest,  or  nearest,  at  the  time  the  mother 


VARIETIES  IN  TWIXS.  171 

has  an  exceedingly  strong  mental  impression,  which  is  wholly 

at  variance  with  her  views  when  she  is  in  a  normal  condition 

> 

and  that  shock  or  scare,  that  envious  thought,  sudden  outburst 
of  temper,  in  short  whatever  the  impression  may  have  been, 
the  mother's  mental  action  has  destroyed  or  added  to,  or  it 
has  retarded  the  growth  of  certain  brain  cells,  just  as  in  the 
case  of  a  like  or  dislike  for  certain  foods.  (See  chapter  on 
Brain  Formation). 

Either  of  the  theories  here  stated  are  at  least  logical.  No 
others  to  our  knowledge  have  ever  been  given  by  any  writer, 
that  will  account  for  the  variety  in  the  character  of  twins. 

Positive  evidence  is  not  attainable  on  this  line.  Further 
investigation,  assisted  by  intelligent  mothers,  may  lead  to 
more  data,  but  it  is  doubtful,  as  a  mother  will  be  unable  to 
locate  the  brain  structure  of  either  child,  even  if  she  is  posi- 
tive that  her  offspring  will  be  dual.  But  whether  our  position 
be  true  or  false,  an  acceptance  of  it  can  do  no  harm. 

It  is  said  by  some  medical  authorities  that  there  is  no 
nervous  or  veinous  connections  between  the  mother  and  her 
unborn  babe.  Such  arguments  are  not  based  upon  reason  or 
experiment,  but  solely  upon  the  fact  that  the  anatomist  could 
not  find  any  nerves  or  veins  under  his  scalpel  or  microscope, 
and  it  must  be  an  error,  when  it  is  considered  that  mothers 
are  liable  to  have  severe  nauseating  spells  at  such  a  time, 
which  is  evidence  that  there  is  a  very  close  and  intimate 
nervous  relation  between  the  forming  body  of  her  child  and 
the  nervous  centre  of  the  mother,  i.  e.  her  brain. 

And  we  also  note  that  M.  Dareste,  a  French  anatomist, 
mixed  madder  with  the  food  of  a  female  mammal,  and  pro- 
duced a  red  color  in  the  bones  of  the  unborn  product,  which 
is  evidence  that  there  is  a  very  intimate  veinous  connection. 
In  the  light  of  these  well  known  facts,  which  can  not  be  suc- 
cessfully controverted — least  of  all  by  an  intelligent  physician 
— it  seems  unwarranted  for  any  one  to  say  that  there  is  no 
nervous  or  veinous  connection  between  a  mother  and  her 
prospective  child. 


172 


MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

INFANTILE  TRAITS. 

This  is  an  age  of  close  scientific  investi- 
gation. Facts  are  demanded.  Everything 
animate  and  inanimate  is  subject  to  investi- 
gation  and  is  carefully  examined  by  the 
scientific  student.  Even  the  infant  has 
been  placed  under  the  microscopic  analysis 
of  the  scientist,  and  as  the  results  are  pro- 
claimed, its  scientific  conclusions  are  thor- 
hly  digested.  Crude  and  undemon- 
strated  ideas  are  soon  eliminated.  Theo- 
ries that  are  logical,  and  which  stand  the 
test  of  close  investigation,  remain  and  are 
accepted  as  scientific,  unless  further  devel- 
opment shows  them  to  be  fallacious. 

Evolutionists  hold,  "That  in  the  infant  ancestral  traits  can 
be  discerned  by  its  manifestations  of  rage,  or  its  impulse  to 
obey,  and  that  both  of  these  traits  are  inheritances  of  remote 
ancestors."  There  is  no  scientific  basis  for  atavism;  it  is  a 
hiding  place  for  obscurity  of  ideas.  It  is  said  that  the  study 
of  infants  is  a  study  of  man  in  a  primitive  condition. 

But  now  comes  another  theory — Materology — which  has, 
at  least,  the  merit  of  being  logical,  and  it  has  an  array  of  evi- 
dence in  its  favor,  from  which  conclusions  can  be  drawn  that 
seem  irrefutable,  showing  that  ancestral  traits  are  of  little 
weight  when  compared  with  the  influence  of  the  mother's 


IXFANTILE  TRAITS.  173 

mind  in  shaping  the  body  and  the  brain  structure  of  her  off- 
spring. This  shaping  of  the  brain  influences  its  whole  life 
and  character,  for  good  or  for  evil;  if  neither  one  or  the  other, 
then  the  individual  will  be  a  nonentity.  But  to  proceed  with 
the  subject  of  infantile  traits.  Tests  of  the  ability  of  a  child 
to  distinguish  colors  have  been  made,  but,  so  far,  are  admitted 
to  be  unsatisfactory.  The  test  to  discover  man's  primitive 
language  has  also  been  tried,  but  has  proven  a  failure.  Some 
years  ago  German  scientists,  by  direction  of  the  government, 
placed  two  infants,  a  boy  and  a  girl,  in  charge  of  a  deaf  and 
dumb  woman  living  upon  a  mountain  side,  where  no  strangers 
would  be  likely  to  call,  and  she  received  strict  injunction  not 
to  allow  anyone  to  see  the  children  for  the  purpose  of  talking 
with  them.  The  German  government,  through  these  chil- 
dren, with  the  aid  of  those  scientific  scholars,  was  trying  to 
find  the  first  principles  of  human  language.  When  the  chil- 
dren were  six  years  of  ag"e  they  were  taken  before  a  body  of 
scientists  for  examination.  It  was  found  that  they  could 
imitate  various  sounds,  such  as  the  barking  of  the  dog,  the 
mewing  of  a  cat,  the  noise  made  by  chickens  and  other 
familiar  sounds.  They  could  understand  each  other  by  the 
use  of  guttural  sounds  or  exclamations,  which  they  alone 
understood,  but  did  not  utter  one  intelligible  sound,  from 
which  anything  could  be  learned  that  there  was  such  a  thing 
as  a  primitive  language.  Not  a  trace  was  noted,  and  the  ex- 
periment was  of  no  benefit  to  science. 

The  latest  published  investigation  upon  the  subject  is  by 
Prof.  Sully,  1896,  in  which  he  says:  "No  test  of  primitive 
language  is  considered  infallible."  It  is  claimed  by  Prof. 
Sully  that  the  first  questions  of  a  child  are  from  its  twenty- 
first  to  its  twenty-eighth  month,  but  its  vigorous  inquiry  be- 
gins in  the  fourth  year  of  its  existence.  If  by  this  is  meant 
that  the  use  of  words  to  ask  questions  begins  at  that  time,  it 
may  be  true,  but  questions  may  and  do  originate  in  a  child's 
mind  long  before  it  is  able  to  speak,  and  with  a  bright  child 
much  earlier  than  with  one  of  dull  comprehension.  Prof. 


174  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

Sully 's  statement  is  problematical,  and  cannot  be  demon- 
strated. 

A  careful  investigation  shows  that  some  infants  will,  as 
early  as  the  third,  fourth,  or  sixth  month,  ask  questions;  as 
all  observing  persons  know,  when  something  occurs  which 
causes  an  infant  to  open  its  eyes  with  astonishment,  and  the 
whole  expression  of  its  face  is,  What  does  this  mean?  And 
then,  if  afraid,  its  little  lips  will  curl,  and  a  cry  of  fear  will 
break  forth — in  some  more  easily  than  others.  Why  will 
some  quicker  than  others  by  their  action  show  fear?  Because 
of  their  brain  formation.  From  the  moment  a  child  is  born 
there  is  behind  it  an  irresistible  motive  in  its  efforts  to  be- 
come a  unit  in  the  world  of  units.  It  may  belong  to  the 
class  which  is  clothed  in  silken  raiment,  or  possibly  its  fate 
may  have  placed  it  among  the  poor  and  lowly,  or  the  depraved 
and  criminal  class.  It  may  be  one  of  many  in  a  family,  but 
whatever  place  it  fills,  the  world  will  get  a  large  share  of  its 
deeds,  for  good  or  for  evil.  Its  future  is  to  a  great  extent^ 
mapped  out,  and  what  it  is  to  be  is  largely  governed  by  its 
mental  capacity,  for  which  the  mother  is  primarily  responsi- 
ble. She  determines  its  brain  power. 

As  a  test  to  show  that  a  child's  desire  to  lead  a  certain 
life  is  not  the  result  of  education,  but  of  something  back  of  it, 
and  that  it  is  not  controlled  by  its  environment,  a  number  of 
pupils  in  a  New  York  public  school  were  asked  to  write  the 
occupation  of  their  parents,  and  what  business  the  pupils 
would  prefer  to  follow.  Eighty-seven  of  them  were  girls,  of 
whom  forty-six  wanted  to  be  teachers,  twelve  waitresses,  eight 
dressmakers,  four  clerks,  thirteen  milliners,  and  four  had  no 
choice.  Not  one  of  them  wanted  to  be  like  the  mother — a 
housekeeper.  It  is  not  to  be  denied  that  the  child  is  father 
of  the  man,  and  its  talent  is  impressed  upon  it,  pre-natally. 
It  crops  out  before  pinafores  are  abandoned. 

Notice  a  number  of  children  from  the  same  family,  at 
play.  One  delights  to  make  mud  pies,  and  bread;  it  has  the 
brain  formation  for  a  first-class  cook,  providing  it  is  assisted 


INFAXTILE  TRAITS.  175 


by  education.  Another  is  continually  attending  to  her  dolls, 
dressing  and  re-dressing  it.  This  proves  that  her  desire  is  to 
be  well  dressed,  and  she  will  long  for  nice  things.  She  will 
show  good  taste  in  her  appearance,  and  her  treatment  of  the 
doll  will  give  a  clue  to  her  motherly  instincts.  The  writer 
watched  a  little  girl  about  ten  years  old,  at  a  street  corner  on 
a  damp  December  day.  She  had  on  a  pink  calico  dress,  held 
an  old  red  and  white  display  parasol,  given  to  her  by  some 
merchant,  over  herself  and  little  brother,  and  hugged  a  doll 
that  was  wrapped  in  a  big  shawl  which  nearly  touched  the 
ground;  she  was  visiting,  or  talking,  to  the  little  boy,  but  her 
whole  actions  showed  that  she  was  born  with  a  love  for  chil- 
dren. She  never  let  her  mind  wander  very  far  from  that  doll; 
she  would  wrap  and  re-wrap  it,  tucking  its  pretended  hair 
back  out  of  its  eyes.  She  was  noticed  in  the  same  spot  for  at 
least  half  an  hour,  as  it  was  near  her  home,  and  her  treatment 
of  the  doll  was  the  clue  to  her  inborn  nature — a  born  nurse. 
A  third  child  will  arrange  the  chairs,  and  teach  imaginary 
scholars,  if  she  cannot  get  real  children  to  play  school.  This 
indicates  brain  power  upon  educational  lines,  and  if  encour- 
aged, will  result  in  an  exceptionally  good  instructor,  one  who 
will  be  in  love  with  the  work.  The  boy  who  is  continually 
driving  horses,  even  if  he  has  nothing  but  a  tow  string,  unless 
thwarted,  will  develop  an  intense  fondness  for  horses,  and  will 
talk  horse  morning,  noon  and  night;  and  if  the  cause  were  in- 
vestigated, would  be  found  to  have  been  influenced  by  the, 
mother  going  to  horse  trots  or  was  delighted  to  ride  after  a 
good  horse. 

All  the  natural  traits  of  children,  which  may  be  wholly 
unlike  the  parents,  is  the  product  or  the  result  of  the  mother's 
desires  and  wishes  before  its  birth,  and  such  traits  are  strong 
or  weak,  and  controllable  in  proportion  to  the  mother's  long- 
ings. If  her  desires  were  very  strong  upon  a  particular  line, 
the  child  cannot  easily  overcome  it.  If  it  is  a  desirable  qual- 
ity it  can  be  taught  on  that  line  without  difficulty  and  will 
need  no  urging,  it  will  only  need  to  be  directed.  The  diffi- 


176  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

culty  with  the  majority  is,  they  have  been  crowded  into  the 
wrong  channels,  the  parents  have  tried  to  make  them  fit  a 
garment  they  have  picked  out,  rather  than  to  make  a  garment 
to  fit  them.  If  an  individual  is  a  failure  in  the  line  he  is  fol- 
lowing, it  proves  that  his  brain  was  not  created  for  that  work, 
and  he  had  not  enough  brain  power  to  push  him  into  the 
channels  which  he  could  have  filled  successfully. 

After  having  spent  much  time,  and  investigated  the  mat- 
ter thoroughly,  we  have  been  irresistibly  led  to  the  con- 
clusions noted  in  regard  to  infantile  traits,  and  they  will  also 
become  obvious  to  any  student  of  cause. 


CHRISTIAN  CHARACTER. 


177 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

CHRISTIAN  CHARACTER. 
"The  Christian,  like  the  poet,  is  born,  not  made."— Drummond. 

It  is  a  pertinent  question  for  the  Christian 
world,  What  will  be  the  effect  of  a  thorough 
comprehension  of  the  subject  of  maternal 
impressions,  by  the  coming  parents  of  future 
generations  upon  Christian  thought  and  char- 
acter? Will  it  be  a  benefit  or  a  detriment  to 
the  cause  of  Christ?  Will  its  study  assist  the 
Christian  world  in  its  work  for  the  redemp- 
tion of  souls  and  enchance  the  power  of  the 
Christian  in  the  salvation  of  mankind? 

It  will  hardly  be  denied  that  a  kindly,  loving,  generous, 
good  Samaritan  spirit  in  a  person  conduces  to  Christian  cul- 
ture, and  is  essential  for  a  true  disciple  of  the  Savior.  Then 
it  follows  that  an  education  upon  the  line  of  maternal  im- 
pressions is  positively  necessary  to  insure  the  fullest  fruition 
of  Christian  work.  How?  By  teaching  the  mother  so  that 
she  will  not,  through  ignorance  of  God's  laws,  which  govern 
her  at  such  periods,  produce  an  atheistic,  agnostic  brain ;  but 
upon  the  contrary,  produces  a  brain  soil  rich  in  the  constit- 
uents wherein  good  teaching  will  take  root  and  nourish. 

It  has  been  said,  "That  a  child  is  to  grow  up  a  Christian, 
and  never  know  himself  as  being  otherwise,"  also,  "Train  up 
a  child  in  the  way  it  should  go."  Is  it  always  possible  to  do 
as  the  above  quotations  indicate?  Then  why  is  it  that  so 


178  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

many  who  are  noted  for  their  Christian  piety,  are  so  unfortu- 
nate in  one  or  more  of  their  children?  There  is  a  cause  for 
the  failure  of  heredity  and  atavism  to  assert  itself,  when 
Christian  parents  produce  a  child  who  will  not  listen  to  re- 
ligious instruction,  and  will  never  take  any  interest  in  matters 
which  pertain  to  church  affairs,  or  who  may  even  become  a 
thief  arid  murderer. 

That  men  are  drifting  away  from  beliefs  in  creeds  and 
their  loyalty  to  churches  and  its  environment,  can  hardly  be 
questioned,  in  spite  of  all  arguments.  Statements  are  made  to 
prove  the  growth  of  Christianity,  as  for  instance,  that  there  was 
an  increase  of  over  four  million  church  members  from  1890  to 
1895,  in  the  United  States,  and  $150,000,000  spent  for  the 
spread  of  Christianity  in  connection  with  Christian  charities. 
Upon  the  other  side  is  the  statement  of  a  well  known  evan- 
gelist, in  a  book  now  on  sale,  that  seventy-five  per  cent,  of 
the  young  men  never  enter  a  church  door,  and  only  five 
per  cent,  of  them  are  professing  Christians.  It  cannot  be 
doubted  that  some  are  born  with  their  devotional  powers 
largely  developed,  who  have  a  love  for,  and  desire  to  indulge 
in  charitable  deeds  and  religious  duties.  Others  have  no  taste 
for  such  devotional  acts,  but  are  very  charitable;  full  of  mercy 
and  loving  kindness  towards  their  fellow  men.  The  first  class 
become  leaders  in  spiritual  and  moral  work.  There  are  others 
who,  in  churchly  language  are  called  dead  branches;  they  have 
been  baptized  or  admitted  in  some  form  or  other  to  fellowship; 
but  little  by  little  they  break  away  and  they  finally  fail  to  at- 
tend at  all.  There  are  others  who  have  lost  all  faith  in  the 
church  and  the  creed,  who  remain  in  it  for  fear  of  loss  of  social 
prestige,  and  others  who  at  once  break  away  from  their  allegi- 
ance. Every  earnest  Christian  worker  knows  that  the  above 
is  a  true  statement;  the  reader  will  understand  that  I  am  not 
trying  to  prove  that  Christianity  is  on  the  decline,  I  simply 
call  the  attention  of  the  Christian  world  to  the  danger  which 
lurks  in  the  present  system  of  the  non-education  of  Christian 
mothers  along  proper  lines,  and  I  also  point  to  the  remedy. 


CHRISTIAN  CHARACTER.  179 

Do  Christian  workers  ever  give  a  thought  as  to  the  real, 
the  fundamental  cause,  of  the  indifference  to  Christian  influ- 
ence, by  some  who  should  be  interested  in  such  labor?  The  ' 
Christian  world  sees  an  effect  of  a  cause,  which  effect  is  apathy 
and  indifference.  It  labors  to  bring  about  more  earnest 
Christian  endeavor;  invites  evangelists  to  preach  and  pray  for 
the  spread  of  the  gospel;  spends  its  time  and  money  with  a 
great  deal  of  energy;  but  the  effect  is  not  satisfactory;  a  few 
additions  are  made  to  the  roll  of  the  church,  and  in  a  short 
time  the  majority  drift  back  into  the  same  old  rut  of  indiffer- 
ence. As  an  excuse  it  is  said  that  the  converts  are  indifferent, 
become  so  because  they  are  luke-warm  in  the  Lord's  work. 
Such  an  answer  does  not  explain  the  cause,  it  only  emphasizes 
an  effect ;  the  cause  lies  back  of  that.  Why  are  they  luke- 
warm? You  answer,  "Because  they  are  indifferent  and  apa- 
thetic." Why  indifferent?  "Because  they  are  lukewarm," 
and  thus  the  reasoning  is  in  a  circle,  arriving  at  the  same 
point  without  a  clue  as  to  the  predisposing  cause. 

Suppose  it  is  looked  at  from  another  standpoint,  a  clearer 
insight  may  be  had.  Revivals  of  religion  should  begin 
earlier;  that  is  to  say,  those  who  are  to  become  church  mem- 
bers and  earnest  Christian  workers,  must  be  endowed  with  a 
brain  structure  that  can  and  will  work  in  the  church  and  in 
the  cause  of  Christ.  The  reformation  must  begin  before 
birth.  How?  By  teaching  the  mother  that  in  earnest  hoping 
and  praying  that  her  child  will  be  a  Christian,  or  by  a  con- 
sistent Christian  life  and  work  on  the  part  of  the  mother,  with 
no  atheistic  objections  to  church  attendance  while  she  is  in 
the  condition  to  which  we  are  calling  attention.  Such  mental 
action  on  the  mother's  part  will  produce  a  brain  structure 
that  will  be  able  to  grasp  and  hold  the  good  which  it  hears, 
and  it  will  imbibe  Christian  culture  without  any  perceptible 
effort,  and  will  delight  to  work  in  the  Master's  vineyard.  It 
will  be  an  individual  that  you  will  not  be  compelled  to  plead 
with ;  the  work  of  the  Lord  will  be  earnestly  and  faithfully 
attended  to. 


180  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

If  mothers  are  taught  to  begin  to  train  their  children 
within  the  year  preceding  their  birth,  if  they  desire  a  chris- 
tia  child — and  what  good  mother  does  not — there  is  not  a 
shadow  of  doubt,  but  that  such  a  mother  can  fulfill  her  de- 
sires. A  study  of  the  mother's  mental  condition,  at  such  a 
time,  and  a  thorough  comprehension  of  the  subject  by  the 
coming  parents,  with  its  results  upon  the  Christian  character, 
as  well  as  the  effect  it  will  have  upon  the  future  work  of  Chris- 
tian organizations,  is  of  the  greatest  importance  to  an  earnest 
disciple  of  the  Savior.  When  the  subject  is  thoroughly 
comprehended,  and  its  operation  upon  the  mind  and  judg- 
ment of  an  individual  is  known,  it  will  be  surprising  to  see 
what  an  important  factor  in  the  line  of  Christian  work  has  been 
overlooked.  Without  a  knowledge  of  this  subject  the  human 
race  will  go  on  in  the  future  as  in  the  past,  bringing  forth  a 
few  earnest  thoughtful  laborers  in  the  service  of  the  Master, 
and  many  more  who  will  be  lukewarm;  who  are  continually 
backward  in  church  work,  and  who  do  their  share  because  of 
the  church  society,  more  than  from  any  special  love  for  the 
cause;  and  upon  whom  much  time  and  energy  is  expended  to 
hold  them  in  line.  A  still  greater  number  will  be  born  who 
cannot  be  reached  at  all,  and  who  will  not  listen  to  any  relig- 
ious instruction;  such  as  are  not  susceptible  to  any  arguments 
which  are  brought  to  bear  upon  them  on  the  line  of  Christian 
endeavor.  In  these  classes  are  very  many  who  are  in  all 
other  respects  model  men  and  women ;  many  of  them  are  the 
children  of  devout  and  earnest  Christians.  Why  are  they  in- 
different? What  is  the  cause?  There  is  a  cause,  as  the 
effect  is  plain  to  be  seen  in  the  many  who  belong  to  the  above 
mentioned  classes.  It  is  the  duty  of  every  Christian  to  study 
the  cause  by  which,  through  some  law  of  nature,  the  moral 
imbecile  is  produced,  as  well  as  the  Christian's  child  who  will 
not  imbibe  religious  instruction. 

Christian  workers,  do  not,  from  any  false  conception  of 
duty,  with  ignorant  and  stupid  ideas  of  what  some  shallow 
minds  are  pleased  to  call  modesty,  let  your  children  grow  up 


CHRISTIAN  CHARACTER.  181 

ignorant  in  the  future.  "What  a  price  we  are  paying  for  the 
thing  we  call  civilization."  It  is  self-evident  that  learning 
God's  law  on  the  line  of  reproduction  is  as  much  the  chris- 
tian's  duty,  as  it  is  to  know  how  to  praise  Him  and  to  do  His 
will;  and  it  is  God's  will  that  mankind  should  obey  His  laws. 
All  laws  of  nature  are  God's  laws,  and  should  be  obeyed  im- 
plicitly. 

How  can  a  Christian  parent  do  her  duty  to  herself,  her 
offspring,  and  to  her  Lord  and  Master,  if  she  is  ignorant  of 
the  fundamental  laws  which  govern  her  existence  at  such 
times?  Bear  in  mind,  that  she  is  responsible  in  an  entirely 
different  manner  from  the  father.  Do  not  misunderstand, 
the  father  is  responsible  for  the  environment  of  the  mother, 
and  for  the  effect  it  may  have  upon  her  mentality,  as  it  affects 
her  offspring  for  weal  or  for  woe.  He  is  mutually  responsi- 
ble, after  the  birth  of  the  child  for  its  environment  and  edu- 
cation, but  she  is  alone  the  artizan  who  fashions  its  mental 
and  physical  structure.  If  the  reader  protests,  and  says, 
"You  are  laying  a  terrible  responsibility  upon  the  mother." 
I  answer,  "Oh,  no!  Nature  and  nature's  God  puts  that  upon 
her.  I  am  simply  pointing  to  a  truth." 

Advance  thinkers  in  the  religious  world  are  realizing  that 
the  church  needs  other  assistance;  help  from  outside  its  own 
ranks  and  methods.  Numerous  articles  are  published  in  re- 
ligious journals,  in  which  they  are  urging  some  additional 
line  of  work  to  assist  in  regenerating  humanity.  In  a  late 
publication  of  one  of  the  leading  Christian  newspapers  was  a 
lengthy  article  upon  the  great  increase  of  crime.  It  said:  "If 
anything  can  be  done  to  lessen  the  tendency  to  crime  it  ought 
to  be  done;  if  the  church  can  do  nothing  then  let  us  invoke 
the  aid  of  some  other  power."  The  knowledge  of  the  effect 
of  maternal  impressions  is  an  effective  power,  and  the  better 
element  must  insist  that  its  effect  shall  be  taught,  as  ignor- 
ance may  lead  to  a  debased  manhood  or  womanhood,  and  the 
inevitable  result  will  be,  that  in  the  future  as  in  the  present, 
humanity  will  suffer  through  ignorance  of  God's  universal  law. 


182  MATERXAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

Are  you,  Christian  parent,  doing  your  duty  to  your  daugh- 
ter, in  allowing  her  to  grow  into  womanhood  unconscious  of 
her  ability  to  increase  her  power  for  good?  When,  by  in- 
structing her  that  under  peculiar  circumstances,  her  mental 
condition  will  affect,  not  alone  her  own  life,  but  the  whole 
life  and  character  of  another  human  being.  The  effect  of 
which  may,  nay  will!  reach  far  into  the  future  for  good  or  for 
evil.  Your  child  should  be  taught  that  while  in  a  certain 
condition,  for  which  God  has  intended  her,  if  her  thoughts 
are  pure  and  noble,  the  result  will  be  a  benefit  to  her  offspring, 
to  humanity,  and  that  it  will  redound  to  the  glory  of  God. 

It  may  be  possible  that  you  are  liable  to  condemnation  in 
the  sight  of  the  Creator,  for  not  improving  the  talent,  that  is, 
the  ability  to  instruct  which  the  Lord  has  placed  in  your 
power.  The  intelligent  Christian  mother  should  have  a  clear 
conception  of  God's  law  upon  the  line  of  reproduction.  Then, 
with  an  earnest  desire  to  do  His  will,  live  up  to  the  require- 
ments and  duties  which  rest  upon  her  through  the  law  of 
creation. 

The  teaching  of  the  result  of  maternal  impression  is  of  the 
greatest  importance  to  the  Christian  worker,  because  the  ten- 
dency of  the  age  is  toward  atheism  and  agnosticism ;  and  it 
behooves  the  Christian  world  to  do  all  in  their  power  to  pre- 
vent the  production  of  those  whose  moral  qualities  would  be 
easily  impressed  with  objections  to  religious  culture.  This 
can  only  be  done  by  teaching  the  coming  mothers  the  effect 
of  maternal  impressions  upon  the  life  and  character  of  her 
offspring.  There  are  cases  on  record  where  a  child  refused 
to  enter  a  church  or  Sunday  school,  caused  by  pre-natal  in- 
fluences, and  it  would  not  listen  to  any  religious  instruction ; 
otherwise  well-behaved  and  lovable. 

"What  is  the  cause  of  the  growth  of  atheism  in  the  land? 
That  it  is  growing,  can  hardly  be  denied.  One  says  it  is  her- 
edity, and  argues  that  the  skeptical  father  produces  a  num- 
ber of  children,  who,  like  himself,  do  not  attend  church,  there- 
fore the  children  do  not  become  communicants.  Suppose 


CHRISTIAN  CHARACTER.  183 

the  idea  that  heredity  is  the  cause  of  skepticism  and  infidelity 
is  logically  traced,  and  see  where  it  leads.  If  heredity  is  the 
cause,  then  all  the  children  in  a  family,  with  the  same  parent- 
age, should  be  identical,  so  far  as  religious  belief  and  action 
is  concerned;  all  would  be  alike  susceptible  to  Christian  in- 
struction, or  on  the  contrary,  all  of  them  refuse  to  listen  to 
it  and  absent  themselves  from  church  and  Sunday  school,  and 
i.f  neither  one  or  the  other,  then  they  would  all  be  lukewarm 
and  indifferent  to  all  questions  of  a  religious  nature.  Every 
person  who  has  given  any  attention  to  the  subject,  is  aware, 
that  hardly  two  children  in  a  family  are  of  the  same  opinion 
upon  questions  pertaining  to  church  or  Sunday  school. 

The  conclusion  forces  itself  upon  our  mentality,  that  her- 
edity is  not  the  cause;  there  is  some  other  factor  which  pro- 
duces the  variety  of  religious  tendencies  in  the  minds  and 
characters  of  the  various  children  in  a  family.  Some  other 
factor  has  been  at  work,  and  heredity  is  not  the  controlling 
power;  some  other  cause  has  so  arranged  the  different  brain 
soils  of  these  children,  so  that  one  does,  the  other  does  not; 
one  can,  and  the  other  can  not  understand  Christian  teaching. 

Now,  trace  the  theory  of  maternal  impressions  as  a  factor 
in  the  cause  of  agnosticism  or  indifference  to  religious  ques- 
tions. Note  the  dissensions  and  petty  disagreements  which 
at  times  occur  among  the  members  of  the  various  church 
organizations;  a  prospective  mother,  who  is  a  member,  we 
will  add,  a  devout  and  sincere  Christian — while  at  a  meeting 
of  the  society  becomes  incensed  at  the  remarks  and  actions 
of  some  of  the  sisters.  She  leaves  the  meeting,  out  of  pa- 
tience at  the  manner  in  which  it  has  been  conducted,  and 
while  excited  she  says:  "I  will  not  attend  the  meetings  of  our 
church  any  more."  She  may  not  really  mean  it,  but  expresses 
herself,  or  allows  her  mind  to  linger  on  that  line,  and  it  is 
safe  to  say  that  nine  out  of  every  ten  Christian  mothers  have 
indulged  in  such  thoughts,  if  she  has  not  spoken  them  at 
some  time.  Such  an  idea  gets  a  foothold  in  the  prospective 
mother's  mind,  strong  or  weak,  in  proportion  to  her  mental 


184  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

calibre  and  nervous  temperament,  and  she  impresses  that 
objection  to  church  meetings  and  members  upon  the  plastic 
fibres  of  the  forming  brain  of  her  child,  as  she  does  a  taste 
or  distaste  for  certain  foods.  Another  illustration :  A  mother 
who  is  one  of  those  finely  organized,  nervous  temperaments, 
with  a  keen  perception  and  a  logical  mind,  sits  in  a  pew  list- 
ening to  a  man  in  the  pulpit  whose  brains  are  better  adapted 
to  sawing  wood  than  preaching.  She  becomes  disgusted,  it 
may  be  at  his  actions  or  logic,  and  while  in  that  mood,  she  is 
impressing  the  brain  of  her  child  with  a  desire  to  get  away 
and  remain  away  from  such  a  preacher.  Through  such  an 
impression  she  gives  birth  to  an  agnostic. 

How  often  has  the  parson's  wife  been  shocked  at  the 
abuse  heaped  upon  her  by  some  of  her  husband's  parishion- 
ers, who  have  been  finding  fault  because  she  has  done,  or  has 
not  done,  thus  and  so.  And  sTie  says,  "I  will  have  nothing 
more  to  do  with  these  church  people.  I  am  sick  and  tired  of 
them  all,"  and  begs  her  husband  to  get  another  place.  Such 
a  mental  operation  retards  the  growth  of  the  brain  cells  which 
govern  that  function,  or  increases  the  cells  which  dislike 
church  members  or  church  attendance.  And  then  the  public 
wonders  why  the  preacher's  son  is  wayward,  when  he  has  been 
surrounded  by  such  good  influences. 

An  illustration:  Rev.  Mr.  W.,  of  M.,  said  to  the  writer: 
"I  have  a  child  that  I  cannot  get  into  a  church  without  the 
greatest  difficulty,  and  have  given  up,  as  he  is  in  misery  all 
the  time,  with  no  relief  until  he  is  outside  of  the  church 
doors."  He  said  further  that  his  wife  was  incensed  at  the 
actions  and  remarks  of  some  of  his  church  members,  in  a 
town  where  he  was  located  within  the  year  preceding  the  birth 
of  this  child.  So  that  the  evidence  plainly  points  to  maternal 
impressions  as  the  cause  of  a  preacher's  son's  objections  to 
church  attendance.  None  of  the  other  children  in  the  family 
but  that  are  willing  and  anxious  to  attend  church  services. 

Contrary  to  the  statement  that  no  illustrations  are  taken 
from  other  works,  the  following  is  inserted  because  the  sub- 


CHRISTIAN  CHARACTER.  185 

ject  is  so  well  known  over  the  entire  civilized  world.  In  The 
Review  of  Reviews,  for  November,  1892,  is  a  sketch  of  Mrs. 
Willard,  the  mother  of  "The  Uncrowned  Queen,"  Frances  E., 
in  which  is  stated,  "That  previous  to  the  birth  of  Frances, 
Mrs.  Willard  often  attended  a  singing  school  which  was  held 
near  her  home,  and  that  she  was  attracted  by  the  features  and 
brown  hair  of  a  young  woman  who  was  a  regular  attendant." 
The  features  and  hair  of  that  young  woman  were  reproduced 
in  Frances  E.  Willard,  whom  the  humanitarian  element  of 
the  entire  globe  delights  to  honor  and  admire. 

Referring  to  the  quotation  of  Prof.  Drummond,  at  the 
opening  of  this  subject,  in  which  he  says,  "The  Christian, 
like  the  poet,  is  born,  not  made."  How  much  evidence  Prof. 
Drummond  has  collected  to  prove  his  position  he  does  not 
say.  He  gives  no  illustration  in  its  favor,  but  uses  an  argu- 
ment which  belongs  to  the  realm  of  the  supernatural,  and, 
therefore,  not  demonstrable. 

There  are  cases  in  evidence  which  prove  that  a  mother  has 
produced  a  Christian  character  in  her  offspring,  through  pre- 
natal influence,  while  at  the  same  time  she  was  unconscious 
of  the  effect  it  would  have.  The  first  case  has  become  pub- 
lic property,  through  its  publication  in  one  of  the  current 
magazines,  and  is,  as  it  were,  from  the  subject's  own  lips. 
The  second  case  was  related  by  the  father  to  the  writer.  The 
article  to  which  attention  is  called,  is  a  sketch  of  Prof.  Herron, 
of  Grinnell,  Iowa,  in  the  April,  1896,  number  of  The  Arena. 
A  part  of  the  article  is  interesting  to  students  of  heredity  and 
kindred  subjects,  and  is  strong  evidence  in  favor  of  maternal 
impressions.  On  taking  pastoral  charge  of  a  certain  church, 
Prof.  Herron  said:  "I  may  have  been  converted  before  I 

was  born During  the  year  preceding  my  birth,  my 

mother  lived  in  an  atmosphere  of  prayer,  studying  good  books 
and  brooding  over  her  bible.  She  asked  God  to  give  her  a 
child  who  should  be  His  servant,  and  she  besought  God  to 
keep  me  upon  the  altar  of  a  perfect  sacrifice,  in  the  service 
of  His  Christ  and  her  Redeemer She  never  again, 


186  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

nor  had  she  before,  reached  the  spiritual  height  upon  which 

she  walked  with  God  during  the  year  of  my  birth 

But  nothing  has  ever  been  able  to  separate  her  from  the  be- 
lief that  in  bringing  me  into  the  world,  she  had  fulfilled  the 
purpose  of  her  being,  and  she  never  doubted  that  I  would  be 
a  messenger  of  God  to  my  fellow  men.  Of  all  this  I  knew 
nothing  until  after  I  had  been  preaching  the  Gospel,  nor 
have  I  ever  spoken  of  this  before,  either  publicly  or  privately." 

As  a  companion  picture  and  study,  also  further  evidence 
as  to  the  tremendous  influence  which  can  be,  and  *is  exerted 
by  the  mental  condition  of  the  prospective  mother  upon 
Christian  character,  the  following  sketch,  in  which  is  related 
the  result  of  another  mother's  longings  and  desires  on  the  line 
of  Christian  work  upon  the  brain  structure  of  W.  D.,  of  W., 
is  interesting.  The  father  is  an  old  and  reliable  merchant. 
Within  the  year  of  the  birth  of  their  third  child,  Mrs.  D.,  at 
family  prayers  and  upon  retiring,  would  ask  the  Lord  to  so 
guide  her  footsteps,  that  she  would  educate  one  of  her  two 
living  boys,  at  that  time  aged  seven  and  twelve  years,  to  be- 
come a  minister  of  the  Gospel.  She  earnestly  desired  that 
one  of  them  should  become  a  preacher  of  Christ  and  Him 
Crucified.  She  gave  the  prospective  child  no  thought  on 
that  line.  Mr.  D.  says  his  wife  was  fully  engrossed  with 
that  idea.  Note  the  result:  The  third  child  was  a  boy,  very 
kind  and  loving  in  his  disposition,  conscientious  in  the 
extreme;  as  a  child,  preferred  stories  of  the  bible  or  such 
as  were  of  a  religious  nature.  As  he  became  old  enough 
to  choose  his  own  reading  matter,  it  was  noticed  that  he  pre- 
ferred the  bible.  He  was  born  in  1878,  is  at  this  writing 
eighteen  years  of  age,  and  is  preparing  for  the  ministry.  The 
eldest  son,  whom  Mrs.  D.  wanted  to  make  a  preacher  of,  is  a 
bookkeeper  in  a  bank ;  the  next  son  is  connected  with  a  min- 
ing company  in  Colorado. 

This  case  differs  from  Prof.  Herron's  in  two  particulars. 
Firsi — There  are  no  brothers  or  sisters  mentioned  in  Prof. 
Herron's  case,  so  that  environment  cannot  be  taken  into 


CHRISTIAN  CHARACTER.  187 

account.  Second — Mrs.  D.  does  not  attribute  the  cause  of  her 
youngest  boy's  religious  tendencies  to  supernatural  causes,  as 
did  Mrs.  Herron,  who  believed  that  it  was  a  direct  answer  to 
her  prayer.  Upon  the  contrary,  Mrs.  D.  believes  that  the 
formation  of  her  child's  brain  upon  Christian  lines  was  caused 
by  the  longings  and  thoughts  which  occupied  her  mind  at 
that  period,  and  her  desires  impressed  its  brain  substance  in 
that  direction,  forming  the  brain  soil  in  such  a  manner  that 
it  would  readily  imbibe  and  loved  to  receive  religious  instruc- 
tion. Mrs.  D.  says:  "I  had  no  idea  at  that  time  that  a 
mother  could  so  affect  an  unborn  child,  but  I  am  firmly  con- 
vinced of  it  now."  She  had  no  other  children. 

Now,  revert  to  environment,  in  the  case  of  her  two  older 
boys,  and  see  how  little  bearing  education  had  upon  them; 
all  of  her  labors  and  her  influence  to  make  a  preacher  out  of 
either  was  futile;  she  was  unable  to  guide  them  in  that  direc- 
tion ;  the  brain  soil  was  not  of  the  right  consistency.  Here 
is  a  case  which  is  strong  a  argument  against  education  being 
much  of  a  factor  in  case  the  brain  substance  is  developed  in 
another  direction,  and  proves  that  if  the  capacity  or  love  for 
a  line  of  work  does  not  exist  in  an  individual's  make-up, 
teaching  will  not  and  cannot  develop  it ;  but  if  the  desire  is 
in  a  contrary  direction,  that  person  will,  unless  strongly  re- 
tarded, get  into  the  line  for  which  he  has  an  innate  desire. 

In  conclusion,  a  Christian's  brain  must  be  constructed  by 
the  mother,  through  her  love  for  Christian  work  at  the  periods 
under  discussion,  or  she  is  liable  to  produce  an  agnostic  or  an 
infidel  organism.  As  was  remarked  in  the  opening  of  this 
chapter,  there  is  no  other  question  that  is  of  more  importance 
to  the  Christian  world  than  the  subject  of  maternal  impres- 
sions and  its  influence  upon  Christian  thought  and  character. 


188  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 


CHAPTEK  XXIII. 

LICENTIOUSNESS. 

At  one  of  the  maternity  hospitals,  it  was  said,  "If  anyone 
doubts,  for  a  moment,  the  unmistakable  transmission  of  de- 
sires that  will  modify  character,  both  mental  and  physical, 
they  have  never  given  a  study  to  the  hospital  side  of  life.  .  . 
.  .  But  must  have  been  engaged  in  laboratory  investigations 
only To  deny  it,  is  to  deny  all  experience." 

The  cause  of  the  growth  of  offenses  against  the  persons  of 
the  weaker  sex,  is  one  that  has  baffled  all  sudents  of  crimin- 
ology, and  various  reasons  are  assigned  for  its  increase.  It 
is  generally  attributed  to  education  and  environment.  Such 
argument  lacks  one  essential,  which  is,  that  the  evidence  is 
against  it;  that  is  to  say,  the  present  system  of  education 
does  not  decrease  criminality  in  any  form.  Upon  the  con- 
trary, where  there  is  the  highest  grade  of  education  there  is 
found  a  larger  percentage  of  crime. 

As  regards  the  fundamental  cause  of  offenses  against  the 
person,  no  writer  has  presumed  to  give  a  reason,  except  to 
re-iterate  the  old  phrase,  "It  is  innate."  In  the  work  of  a 
noted  authority,  Dr.  Kraft  Ebing's  "Psycopathia  Sexualis," 
which  is  a  book  of  reference  for  the  medical  profession,  in 
which  are  related  all  known  and  verified  sexual  offenses,  there 
is  not  a  word,  a  hint,  or  a  clue,  as  to  the  cause  in  any  case. 

When  the  fact  is  considered  that  the  offenses  against  the 
weaker  portion  of  organized  society,  like  all  other  misde- 
meanors, is  increasing  at  a  rapid  rate,  something  should  be 


LICENTIOUSNESS.  189 


done  to  counteract  the  tendency.  The  disgraceful  scenes 
enacted  at  what  was  known  as  the  "Sherry  dance,"  in  New 
York  City  in  1896,  was  the  subject  of  a  sermon  by  the  Rev. 
Louis  A.  Banks  at  the  Hanson  Place  M.  E.  church,  Brooklyn. 
In  his  discourse  he  referred  to  the  Seeley  dinner  at  Sherry's 
thus:  "If  this  vile  revel  had  been  given  in  some  low  dance- 
house  by  some  ignorant  thug  who  knew  no  better,  one  would 
understand  it.  But  the  horrible  thing  of  it  all  is  that  it  was 
given  by  a  man  who  claims  to  be  a  gentleman,  and  his 
guests  were  men  of  education  and  travel — men  of  large 
wealth  and  high  social  standing.  Many  of  them  are  men 
of  family  and  of  influence  in  the  community.  Is  this  all  our 
colleges  can  do  for  us?  Is  this  the  result  of  our  boasted 
social  advancement  and  refined  culture?  Think  of  our  great 
publishing  houses  and  commercial  interests  in  the  hands  of 
such  men,  whose  ideal  way  of  having  a  'good  time'  is  a  feast 
where,  according  to  the  statement  of  the  host  himself,  the 
songs  sung,  the  dances  performed,  the  exposure  of  person, 
and  the  whole  affair  was  base,  low,  vulgar,  and  sensual,  and 
the  most  shocking  thing  about  it  all  is  that  these  men  seemed 
to  be  so  far  depraved  in  their  tastes  that  they  have  not  the 
grace  to  be  ashamed  of  it."  The  participants  in  that  shame- 
ful orgie  were  indicted  by  the  grand  jury. 

This  but  adds  evidence  that  immorality  is  growing  at  a 
rapid  rate.  Why  a  family  of  two  or  more  children  should 
vary  in  their  desires  on  the  line  of  sensuality,  is  a  study  of 
great  importance  to  the  good  order  of  society.  The  sin  of 
unchastity  is  rapidly  increasing,  undermining  character  and 
social  order.  The  cause  is  the  evil  passion  in  man.  But 
why  one  of  the  children  in  a  family  is  licentious  in  thought, 
word  and  deed,  and  the  others  remain  pure  and  virtuous,  or 
who  keep  within  the  bounds  of  decency,  is  to  most  people,  to 
say  the  least,  mysterious.  It  is  generally  excused  upon  the 
ground  of  heredity,  and  is  said  to  be  due  to  some  streak  of 
bad  blood  which  has  come  down  through  a  long  line  of 
ancestors,  thus  laying  the  blame  and  charge  of  immorality 


190  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

upon  some  persons  who  are  unknown  and  unable  to  defend 
themselves. 

The  supernatural  thinker  says  it  is  the  will  of  God.  or  it 
would  not  have  appeared;  and  those  who  take  that  position, 
at  once  proceed  to  prove  that  they  are  wrong,  by  insisting 
upon  a  thorough  education  to  counteract  the  evil  tendencies 
and  try  to  overturn  the  will  of  God,  which,  they  say,  is  the 
cause.  Such  an  argument  is  a  species  of  fatalism,  and  if  they 
really  believed  that  it  is  God's  will,  they  would  not  attempt 
to  thwart  his  desires  and  by  human  efforts  overthrow  or  retard 
the  work  which  the  Creator  is  trying  to  do.  They  do  not  be- 
lieve it.  but  it  is  an  easy  way  to  avoid  the  subject  and  thus 
relieve  themselves  of  any  responsibility.  It  is  unreasonable 
to  suppose  that  the  Creator  has  placed  man  here  under  a  code 
of  laws  that  are  unchangeable;  that  some  of  His  creatures 
were  placed  here  for  the  purpose  of  degrading  a  few,  and  thus 
injure  the  whole.  The  idea  is  monstrous,  and  it  would  seem 
that  no  man  endowed  with  full  reasoning  powers  can  accept 
the  statement  that  God  intended  some  of  His  creatures  to  be 
the  victims  of  others,  when  the  preservation  of  life  is  not  at 
stake,  as  in  the  case  of  animals  which  devour  others  to  ap- 
pease hunger.  Others  say,  that  the  cause  is  vicious  and  im- 
moral literature,  and  the  association  of  boys  and  girls  who 
are  born  with  immoral  tendencies.  If  that  is  the  argument, 
then  the  question  intrudes  itself,  Why  are  any  of  the  boys 
and  girls,  from  the  best  classes  and  the  higher  institutes  of 
learning,  born  with  immoral  natures,  when,  in  many  cases, 
they  are  of  the  better  element  of  society? 

That  immoral  associations  do  affect  many  a  child,  who, 
under  other  environments,  would  not  have  become  lewd,  is 
no  doubt  true,  but  careful  observation  leads  to  the  conviction 
that  those  who  are  not  born  licentious,  and  who  become  im- 
moral through  vicious  books  and  associations,  never  become 
criminals  on  this  line,  that  is,  never  commit  outrages  upon 
the  opposite  sex.  Their  indulgences  are  all  within  the  limit 
of  natural  law  and  by  mutual  consent;  nor  do  they  usually 


LICENTIOUSNESS.  191 


offend  by  word  or  deed,  neither  are  they  addicted  to  the  ex- 
cesses; nor  are  they  abnormal  in  their  actions.  They  never 
commit  those  deeds  which  shock  the  average  man;  deeds 
which  are  unmentionable,  but  are  well  known  to  all  students 
of  criminology,  and  to  those  who  have  charge  of  public  insti- 
tutions. 

It  is  easy  to  discover  a  lewd  nature.  The  observer  will  in 
a  few  moments  find  that  their  thoughts  turn  toward  licen- 
tiousness, and  in  some  cases  with  difficulty  restrain  themselves 
in  the  use  of  indecent  and  lewd  remarks.  A  man's  mind  and 
thoughts  always  turn  to  that  which  yields  him  the  most  en- 
joyment. It  is  wonderful  how  persons  who  are  born  licen- 
tious show  their  propensities,  and  are  irresistibly  drawn  toward 
each  other — they  quickly  become  intimate.  This  any  close 
observer,  who  has  ever  been  much  of  a  traveler,  knows  is  a 
fact.  Such  persons  have  tendencies  so  strong  that  they  can- 
not be  attributed  to  environment;  it  is  inborn. 

A  man  who  is  inclined  to  lewdness  sees  the  same  charac- 
teristics in  the  opposite  sex,  in  a  hotel  or  on  a  train,  and  at  a 
glance  finds  his  affinity.  Such  persons  are  drawn  together  by 
an  unconscious  power,  which  they  cannot,  or  do  not,  resist, 
and  all  moral  culture  in  thrown  to  the  wind.  A  pure-minded 
woman  does  not  attract  such  a  man,  only  so  far  as  her  per- 
sonal appearance  is  concerned,  and  if  he  makes  advances 
which  are  repelled,  he  quickly  subsides. 

But  to  the  question,  Why  are  men  and  women  of  some  of 
our  so-called  "best  families"  lewd  and  immoral?  It  is  be- 
cause the  parents  were  licentious,  in  thought  or  deed,  while 
the  brain  of  the  offspring  was  forming.  Such  immoral 
thoughts  and  actions,  with  their  effect  upon  the  mind  of  the 
mother,  has  been  registered  upon  the  growing  brain  structure 
of  the  offspring.  The  mental  action  that  is  excited  by  the 
physical  action  of  the  mother,  has  increased  the  brain  cells  of 
her  child,  which  are  intended  to  govern  those  functions,  and 
they  have  been  enlarged  at  the  expense  of  the  brain  cells 


192  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

which  are  intended  to  hold  such  propensities  in  check.    [See 
chapter  on  Brain  Formation.] 

In  such  cases  the  father  is  largely  responsible.  How? 
When  the  wife  is  in  the  condition  under  investigation,  the 
husband  does  not  control  himself,  and  by  his  action  excites 
the  mother's  nervous  system,  which  is  bound  to  produce  the 
brain  structure  above  mentioned.  There  is  another  cause, 
which  is  solely  chargeable  to  the  mother,  and  that  is,  while 
in  this  condition,  she  allows  lewd  thoughts  to  occupy  her 
mind,  longs  for  or  desires  sensual  action.  This  would  have 
its  effect  upon  the  brain  cells  of  her  offspring,  just  as  a  long- 
ing for  some  article  of  food  would  form  a  desire  for  that  par- 
ticular article.  Every  mother  knows  that  the  effect  of  such 
a  longing  is  to  make  the  child  a  gourmand,  so  far  as  that  par- 
ticular article  is  concerned,  and  the  logic  is  that  the  same 
effect  will  be  produced  on  other  lines. 

This  peculiar  condition  of  the  brain  soil  cannot  be  over- 
come by  education.  Culture  can  only  restrain  the  propen- 
sities when  the  brain  cells  are  not  strongly  developed  upon 
immoral  lines.  If  the  individual's  animal  passion  is  naturally 
very  strong,  no  amount  of  reproof  or  instruction  will  over- 
come it,  just  as  in  the  case  of  a  born  criminal.  It  is  unneces- 
sary to  go  into  details  upon  the  subject.  It  is  self-evident  that 
the  class  of  human  beings  under  discussion  are  born  with  a 
desire  for  licentiousness,  as  other  persons  are  born  with 
other  predominant  traits,  physical  and  mental. 

Go  to  an  asylum  for  feeble-minded  children  and  see  the 
poor,  helpless,  idiotic,  deformed  and  epileptic  children. 
Then  think  of  the  many  who  are  not  dependent  upon  the 
state,  who  are  the  skeletons  in  the  closets  of  their  homes.  Did 
the  parents  of  these  poor,  helpless  ones  do  their  duty?  Has 
organized  society  done  its  duty  in  neglecting  to  educate  the 
mothers  how  to  prevent  the  production  of  such  as  are  not 
well-born?  'Tis  true  the  answer  could  be  truthfully  given, 
We  did  not  know  that  such  abnormities  could  be  obviated. 
A  few  hints  have  been  given  here  and  there  by  persons  whose 


LICENTIOUSNESS.  193 


pretenses  were  in  the  nature  of  charlatanism,  but  a  complete 
exposition  has  never  been  attempted. 

In  conclusion,  if  it  is  admitted  that  criminals  are  born,  as 
are  poets,  artists,  musicians  and  all  so-called  geniuses — 
and  scientific  investigators  agree  that  they  are  born,  not 
made — then  the  conclusion  must  be,  that  impure  thoughts 
and  impure  expression,  on  the  part  of  the  parents,  must 
affect  the  mind  of  their  offspring,  which  leads  to  imbecility 
of  the  body  and,  naturally,  weakens  the  mind,  leaving  its 
impress  for  all  time  and  eternity. 


194 


MATERIAL  IMPRESSIONS. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

MOTHERS'  LONGINGS. 

"It  is  strictly  and  philosophically  true,  in  nature  and  in  reason,  that  there  is 
no  such  thing  as  chance." 

[Prospective  mothers  are  advised  to  read  this  chapter, 
and  "Advice  to  Prospective  Mothers,"  at  once;  also  the 
chapter  upon  "Epilepsy."] 

Physicians  say  that  the 
peculiar  idiosyncrasies  or  ab- 
normal desires  of  prospective 
mothers  are  increasing,  and 
they  assign  no  reason  for  it. 
It  is  no  doubt  caused  by  the 
mothers  being  as  uneasy  and 
restless  as  the  average  fathers, 
husbands,  and  brothers,  and 
the  effect  is  damaging  to  their 
offspring.  No  doubt  the  so- 
cial condition  of  the  age  has 
much  to  do  with  the  general 
feeling  of  unrest  and  excite- 
ment. The  mother's  mind  is 
engrossed  with  the  many  so- 
cial duties  which  are  laid  up- 
on her,  so  that  at  the  time  when  she  should  be  passive  and 
quiet,  her  mind  is  on  the  go,  if  not  her  body.  She  longs  to 
attend  this  gathering,  that  party;  go  to  this  concert  and  that 
show,  horse  race,  ball  game  or  some  other  exciting  occupation, 


MOTHERS'  LOXGIXGS,  195 

and  in  this  way,  through  ignorance  of  the  effect  such  things 
may  have  upon  her  offspring,  she  entails  upon  her  child  traits 
of  character  that  are  undesirable,  and  in  many  instances  are 
a  blight  upon  the  whole  life  of  her  child. 

How  can  the  injurious  effects  which  are  bound  to  follow 
such  abnormal  desires,  be  counteracted  and  the  injury  over- 
come? It  is  an  important  question.  It  can  be  done  by  a 
proper  education  of  the  mothers;  by  teaching  them  the  effect 
of  such  abnormal  desires,  and  at  the  same  time,  how  to  pre- 
vent injurious  consequences.  At  such  times  prospective 
mothers  are  inclined  to  become  morbid.  They  often  give  way 
to  feelings  of  depression;  have  a  depraved  appetite  and  long 
for  unusual  foods,  or  have  some  other  uncommon  desires.  As 
a  mother  values  the  purity  of  her  sons,  and  the  virtue  of  her 
daughters,  she  must  keep  her  thoughts  pure,  and  her  desires 
normal.  At  such  a  time  any  wish  to  commit  murder,  by  a 
desire  to  be  relieved  from  maternity,  or  longing  in  that  direc- 
tion, will  result  in  producing  a  murderous  brain  in  her  off- 
spring. The  thoughts  of  murder,  or  the  desire  to  see  blood 
flow,  will  produce  a  destructive  brain  in  her  child.  This  was 
proven  in  the  Pomeroy  case  in  Boston,  referred  to  in  Part  I. 
A  boy  aged  14,  enticed  two  children  about  three  years  old, 
into  a  church  and  killed  them  in  his  insane  desire  to  see  blood 
flow.  At  the  trial  his  mother  testified  that  she  often  went  to 
the  slaughter  house  to  see  her  husband  butcher,  and  it  always 
pleased  her  to  see  blood  flowing.  It  was  not  her  wish  when 
she  was  in  a  normal  condition.  This  was  preceding  the  birth 
of  this  boy. 

Such  destructive  tendencies  are  caused  by  an  abnormal 
brain  development,  and  its  effects  can  be  seen  in  a  child  who 
delights  to  kill  insects  or  pull  the  wings  from  them,  then  lets 
them  go  maimed  and  mangled;  and  in  the  boy  who  will  mal- 
treat animals,  pleased  if  he  throws  a  stone  which  breaks  a 
bird's  wing,  or  the  leg  of  a  cat. 

It  is  noticeable  in  a  child  who  has  a  blind  impulse  to  de- 
stroy everything  within  reach,  especially  when  in  a  passion, 


196  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

and  others  who  are  naturally  destructive,  even  to  breaking 
their  playthings  to  pieces,  "Just  for  fun."  Some  have  at- 
tacks of  crying,  striking  and  biting  everyone  within  reach 
when  in  a  passion,  and  the  child  is  said  to  have  a  bad  temper. 
Dr.  Greisner,  an  authority  upon  brain  disorder,  says  that 
such  outbursts  of  temper,  or  anger,  on  the  part  of  a  child,  are 
a  true  mania,  and  are  caused  by  malformation  of  the  brain. 
Why  is  it  that  one  or  more  of  the  children  in  a  family  are  of 
this  temper,  when  the  others  are  gentle  and  kind?  It  is  be- 
cause the  mother  had  just  such  periods  of  ill-temper  while  the 
brain  of  her  offspring  was  forming.  Such  out-bursts  of  tem- 
per are  reproduced  in  her  child.  The  irritability  may  have 
been  unusual  for  that  mother,  but  the  effect  is  the  same. 
Nature  does  not  make  any  mistake,  "Like  begets  like." 

There  is  not  an  observing  mother  in  the  land  but  knows 
that  these  statements  are  in  the  main  correct.  Here  and  there 
one  may  deny  it,  but  such  mothers  are  excusable  upon  the 
ground  that  they  have  a  poor  memory,  or  lack  the  power  of 
perception.  It  cannot  be  otherwise;  nature  would  be  untrue 
to  itself,  if  it  produced  an  ugly,  ill-natured  child,  from  a 
mother  who  is,  at  such  a  time,  good-natured  and  kindly  dis- 
posed. The  more  we  investigate,  the  more  deeply  we  become 
impressed  with  the  truth  of  the  theory,  That  every  immoral 
or  licentious  thought;  every  out-burst  of  temper  and  all  ex- 
hibitions of  hatred;  every  hypocritical  expression,  as  well  as 
every  thoughtful  humane  act  or  sympathetic  deed,  is  sure  to 
record  itself  in  the  plastic  brain  structure  of  the  forming 
child.  All  emotions  shape  its  faculties  and  create  its  men- 
tality and  character  for  good  or  for  evil.  In  short,  not  a 
thought  which  passes  through  the  mother's  mind  but  it  leaves 
its  record  upon  the  structure  of  that  embryonic  brain.  Dr. 
Brittan  calls  it  "A  kind  of  electrotyping  upon  the  sensitive 
brain  form." 

The  words  of  Longfellow  aptly  apply:  "No  action, 
whether  foul  or  fair,  is  ever  done,  but  it  leaves  somewhere  a 
record,  written  by  fingers  ghostly,  as  a  blessing  or  a  curse, 


MOTHERS'  LOXGINGS.  197 

and  mostly  in  the  greater  good  or  evil  which  follows  it." 
A  mother's  wishes  or  desires  may  be  beneficial  or  injurious 
to  her  own  personality;  in  either  case,  it  will  correspondingly 
affect  her  offspring.  It  rests  wholly  with  the  mother  to  di- 
rect her  mind  in  the  proper  channels  at  such  times,  and  above 
all,  she  should  not  allow  her  temper  to  overcome  her  at  those 
periods;  if  she  does,  she  must  expect  the  same  in  her  child. 
It  is  inevitable,  as  "Hysterics  in  the  mother  is  apt  to  develop 
insanity  in  the  child."  The  highest  medical  authority  main- 
tains this  assertion,  and  it  cannot  be  successfully  controverted. 
If  that  be  true,  it  follows  that  lesser  mental  action,  either  on 
the  line  of  ill-temper  or  any  other  disposition,  must  have  a 
corresponding  effect.  If  good,  it  is  well;  if  bad,  the  mother 
must  know  how  to  overcome  it,  or  the  child  will  surely  reap 
the  reward  of  the  mother's  ill-temper  or  low  spirits.  A  pros- 
pective mother  should  be  taught  how  to  overcome  such  men- 
tal abnormities — that  is,  their  bad  effects.  If  she  earnestly 
desires  to  counteract  a  bad  influence,  she  should  hope  and 
long  that  it  will  not  do  any  harm.  The  result  will  be  bene- 
ficial to  that  forming  brain.  That  very  longing  and  desire 
on  the  part  of  the  mother  will  have  a  corresponding  effect 
upon  her  child.  This  idea  is  drawn  from,  and  the  phenomena 
is  explained  by,  the  fact  that  the  mother,  through  her  long- 
ings, creates  the  brain  substance  which  is  to  control  the  de- 
sires which  her  child  will  possess.  It  is  only  necessary  to 
dwell  upon  them.  [This  is  fully  explained  in  the  chapter  on 
Brain  Formation.] 

The  conclusion  to  which  this  argument  leads,  is,  That 
every  thought  of  the  prospective  mother  is  registered,  or  im- 
pressed, upon  the  brain  substance  of  the  expectant  child;  and 
the  logic  of  the  argument  is,  That  at  every  moment  of  time, 
sleeping  or  waking,  while  the  mother  is  in  the  condition 
under  discussion,  the  process  of  development  in  the  child  is 
going  on;  that  at  every  moment  there  are  atoms  of  flesh, 
blood  and  bones  added  to  it.  These  must  be  affected  by  the 
mother,  not  by  some  other  person.  If  this  is  conceded,  then 


198  .-\fATERNAL  IlfPRESSIOXS. 

the  mother's  mental  action  necessarily  changes  the  outer 
form,  which  is  seen  after  birth.  Would  it  be  logical  to  con- 
tend that  she  does  not  change  the  inner  part  of  this  forming 
body,  which  we  cannot  see — the  brain  ? 

The  process  by  or  through  which  the  child  is  affected  is 
unknown,  but  it  is  well  known  to  the  medical  fraternity  that 
mental  impressions  do  affect  the  offspring.  The  question  is 
asked,  Should  a  prospective  mother  resist  the  unusual  and 
peculiar  desires  or  notions  which  the  average  woman  is  liable 
to  have  at  such  times?  Peculiarities  which  cannot  be  ac- 
counted for;  desires  that  seem  to  be  entirely  foreign  to  her 
in  her  normal  condition.  No  one  has  as  yet  fathomed  the 
process  which  produces  them.  How  the  nervous  center  of 
the  brain  is  so  peculiarly  affected,  no  scientist  can  explain, 
and  it  is  of  no  consequence  so  far  as  this  study  is  concerned. 

Some  thougJitlcss  husbands  are  inclined  to  sneer  and 
laugh  at  their  wives — call  them  foolish  for  harboring  such 
peculiar  notions — but  such  a  course  is  wrong. 

In  answer  to  the  question,  Should  the  mother  gratify  the 
unusual  desire?  the  answer  is  both  Yes,  and  Xo.  If  the  long- 
ing is  neither  indecent  or  immoral,  and  can  be  easily  gratified, 
and  the  husband,  by  sympathizing  with  the  wife,  can  over- 
come her  feelings,  so  that  reason  and  good  sense  will  banish 
the  desire,  no  perceptible  injurious  results  will  follow.  If  it 
be  a  wish  for  some  article  of  food  out  of  season,  or  a  desire  to 
go  somewhere  which  will  not  be  a  burden  to  the  husband, 
the  answer  is,  Yes,  gratify  it.  Or,  if  the  desire  is  for  some- 
thing which  the  mother  thinks  should  not  be  done — as,  for 
instance,  Mrs.  I.  W..  of  L.,  who  was  an  ardent  W.  C.  T.  U. 
member,  radical  in  her  objection  to  the  use  of  liquor,  had  an 
intense  longing  for  a  drink  of  whiskey — something  entirely 
foreign  to  her  general  nature.  She  spurned  the  thought,  as 
it  would  be  hypocritical  for  her  as  a  Christian  and  a  temper- 
ance advocate.  She  told  her  husband  that  she  was  unable  to 
overcome  the  desire;  she  could  not  get  it  out  of  her  mind. 
They  had  studied  the  subject  of  maternal  impressions,  and 


MOTHERS'  LONGINGS.  199 

decided  that  she  should  take  it  as  she  would  a  dose  of  medi- 
cine, as  it  was  to  cure  a  diseased  mind.  Mr.  W.  bought  a 
six-ounce  bottle  of  it,  and  she  drank  the  whole  of  it  at  once, 
prepared  herself  for  bed,  as  they  expected  that  it  would  in- 
toxicate her;  but,  to  their  surprise,  it  had  no  perceptible 
effect  upon  her.  This  was  evidence  that  her  system  needed 
the  stimulant.  She  had  no  more  longings  of  that  kind.  In 
that  case  those  parents  acted  the  part  of  sensible  people. 

If  the  desire  is  for  some  immoral  or  licentious  action,  it 
must  be  banished  from  the  mind.  If  the  mother  lacks  the 
will-power  to  enable  her  to  overcome  the  impure  thoughts 
and  is  a  believer  in  the  efficacy  of  prayer,  she  should  ask  the 
Lord  to  assist  her  to  overcome  the  evil  which  is  in  her 
mind.  That  very  act  would  counterbalance  and  equalize 
the  brain  cells  of  her  offspring.  And  the  mother  who  is 
not  a  praying  woman,  should  say,  "I  will  not  harbor  the 
immoral  desires.  I  hope  my  child  will  not  have  such 
thoughts." 

It  is  positively  essential  to  the  welfare  of  posterity  that 
all  longings,  which  in  their  nature  are  detrimental  to  society 
in  the  individual,  and  which  the  true  mother  does  not  want 
to  entail  upon  her  child,  must  be  driven  from  her  mind,  and 
in  its  stead  let  her  thoughts  linger  upon  the  qualities  which 
she  desires  that  her  child  should  possess.  There  is  another 
thing  which  should  be  considered  in  this  connection,  and 
in  regard  to  which  mothers  should  be  warned.  That  is:  If 
she  desires  that  her  child  should  become  proficient  on  a 
line  which  is  in  its  nature  idealistic, — that  is,  deals  largely 
with  the  imagination,  as  for  instance,  a  musician,  or  an 
artist;  both  of  them  belong  to  the  realm  of  romance.  If  she 
produces  a  thoroughly  artistic  brain,  it  will  be  at  the  ex- 
pense of  some  other  part  of  the  brain  structure,  and  may 
result  in  an  unbalanced  mind,  so  that  her  child  will  be 
weak  on  other  points.  We  have  in  mind  a  mother  who 
was  wholly  engrossed  with  the  idea  that  her  child  should 
become  a  devout  Christian,  as  her  husband  was  an  infidel. 


200  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

The  result  was  a  babe  who  was  very  largely  developed  in 
the  frontal  region;  that  is,  it  had  a  large  brain  formation 
in  the  region  of  veneration,  and  lacked  in  the  vital  and 
animal  propensities.  The  child  died  at  three  years  of  age 
from  water  on  the  brain.  It  had  an  enormous,  abnormal 
head.  So  the  advice  to  a  mother  is,  use  judgment,  and  do 
not  brood  over  any  particular  idea  while  in  the  condition 
under  discussion. 

The  effect  of  maternal  impressions  upon  the  mind  and 
character  of  a  child  born  of  a  keen,  intellectual  mother,  is 
much  greater  than  to  one  of  dull  comprehension.  The 
sluggish  mind  of  the  latter  is  not  as  quick  to  perceive,  and 
her  mind  is  slow  to  act;  nor  can  she  transmit  such  positive 
characteristics  as  the  intelligent  mother,  who  is  deeply  im- 
pressed by  ideas  which  would  have  no  effect  upon  the 
dullard.  The  cumulative  evidence  of  the  age  is,  that  similar 
produces  similarity;  and  what  the  mother  is  at  that  time, 
mentally,  morally  and  physically,  she  is  bound  to  reproduce. 
Maternal  impressions  affect  the  development,  form  and 
character  of  the  prospective  child.  It  affects  not  only  form 
of  body,  but  character  of  the  mind  and  purity  of  soul. 
Idiocy,  mania,  and  those  who  are  born  blind,  or  deaf,  also 
all  of  the  so-called  "freaks  of  nature,"  are  caused  by  an  in- 
terference with  the  laws  of  nature — never  otherwise — and 
the  production  of  imperfectly  formed  beings  should  be 
averted  by  an  education  upon  that  line. 

If  the  mind  of  the  expectant  mother  is  from  any  cause 
unduly  excited,  it  necessarily  affects  the  structure  of  her 
offspring,  and  good  or  evil  passions  are  transmitted  as  surely 
as  are  facial  expressions.  If  the  mother  is  in  a  joyous  mood 
while  forming  one  brain,  and  sullen  and  ugly  in  another  case, 
she  must  produce  corresponding  character.  Such  reciprocity 
is  perfect ;  it  cannot  be  otherwise — Like  produces  like. 

Never  nurse  a  sick  or  injured  person  while  in  that  con- 
dition. That  is,  do  not  let  the  mind  dwell  upon  the  case, 
but  instead,  hope  that  your  child  will  not  be  affected  by  this 


MOTHERS'  LOXGIXGS.  201 

injury  to  your  husband  or  brother.  [See  the  case  of  Mrs.  C., 
whose  husband's  eyes  were  diseased,  and  her  babe  was  born 
with  only  one  eye.  ] 

The  investigation  of  the  subject  of  maternal  impressions, 
and  all  the  cases  which  are  in  evidence,  point  to  the  inevi- 
table conclusion  that  mind  exerts  powerful  influence  over 
matter,  especially  when  under  certain  conditions,  it  moulds 
and  fixes  the  inherent  character  of  man.  If  it  were  possible 
to  offer  a  special  permit  that  would  insure  perfect  offspring, — 
perfect  not  only  physically,  but  mentally,  many  parents  would 
be  willing  to  give  a  goodly  sum  for  the  power  to  reproduce 
an  exact  counterpart  of  their  ideal,  and  the  government  of 
the  state  and  nation  conld  afford  to  use  a  part  of  the  sum 
which  is  now  expended  in  the  care  of  the  dependent  and 
defective  classes,  to  educate  the  coming  mothers  and  thus 
lessen  the  production  of  imbeciles  and  criminals.  The  dis- 
semination of  knowledge  as  to  the  influence  of  maternal 
impressions  would  be  one  of  the  means  to  attain  that  end. 
It  is  important  to  every  parent  as.  well  as  to  society,  and  its 
benefits  are  innumerable  and  invaluable. 

It  is  incumbent  upon  the  state  to  adopt  measures  which 
will  insure  the  future  well-being  of  posterity.  It  is  done  to 
produce  physical  health.  Why  not  do  the  only  effective 
thing  for  moral  health?  i.  e.,  teach  the  laws  which  govern 
reproduction.  All  other  plans  for  the  prevention  of  crime 
and  malformations  have  been  only  partially  successful,  and 
this  line  of  education  is  the  only  one  which  appeals  to  sound 
reason  and  judgment,  from  the  fact  that  a  knowledge  of  the 
laws  of  reproduction  and  their  adaptation  is  successful  in  the 
case  of  the  animal  species,  and  the  converse  detrimental. 
The  moral  cost  to  mankind  of  ignorance  upon  this  subject 
is  incalculable. 


202  MATERXAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

ADVICE   TO   PROSPECTIVE   MOTHERS. 

"The  destiny  of  the  nations  lies  far  more  in  the  hands  of  women— the  mothers 
—than  in  the  hands  of  those  who  possess  power,  or  those  who  are  innovators,  who 
seldom  understand  themselves.  We  must  cultivate  the  mothers,  who  are  the 
educators  of  the  human  race,  else  the  next  generation  cannot  accomplish  its 
task."— Froebel. 

[Prospective  mothers  are  advised  to  read  this  chapter  and 
Mother's  Longings,  without  fail,  at  once,  leaving  the  other 
chapters  for  leisure  hours.  ] 

"What  a  powerful  influence  is  mother's  love;  it  is  world- 
wide. The  deep,  all-absorbing,  wondrous  mother's  love  is 
something  that  man  cannot  understand;  it  is  to  him  a  mys- 
tery which  he  cannot  fathom.  It  is  rooted  in  the  unconscious 
law  of  life."  There  is  a  tendency  in  the  minds  of  inexperi- 
enced mothers,  and  particularly  among  those  who  are  only 
partially  familiar  with  the  fact,  to  believe  that  sudden  alarms 
and  accidents,  will  result  disastrously  to  their  prospective 
offspring.  This  idea  is  in'  the  main  correct,  and  many  a 
mother  has  suffered  mental  torture,  worrying  and  fearing,  yet 
hoping  that  a  shock  she  has  experienced,  and  which  has 
arrested  development,  will  not  produce  any  unpleasant  result. 
The  very  fact  of  hoping  and  longing  will  overcome  such 
arrested  development. 

Some  become  the  victims  of  false  and  misleading  theories, 
which  are  current  among  those  who  are  full  of  crude  notions, 
upon  a  very  important  subject,  and  there  are  some  older  ones 
who  doubt  the  effect  of  a  scare  or  shock.  Their  argument  is 


ADVICE  TO  PROSPECTIVE  MOTHERS.  203 

that  comparatively  few  out  of  the  many  births  show  any  ill 
effects;  but  this  is  unwarranted,  for,  in  a  careful  investiga- 
tion, it  is  found  that  nearly  every  other  person  has  a  mark 
which  is  attributable  to  a  shock,  or  a  longing  which  the 
mother  had,  and  it  is  called  a  birth-mark.  It  may  be  ever  so 
slight,  yet  it  adds  evidence  to  the  theory  of  maternal  influ- 
ence. The  most  damaging  idea  is  one  held  and  taught  by 
nearly  all  who  are  conversant  with  the  subject,  including 
many  physicians,  which  is,  that  if  a  shock  is  experienced, 
dismiss  it  at  once;  mothers  are  told  not  to  dwell  upon  it.  We 
believe  this  advice  to  be  wrong.  It  is  now  maintained  that  a 
scare  to  the  mother  acts  like  an  electric  shock,  which  arrests 
development;  and  investigation  shows  that  when  the  mother 
has  succeeded  in  dismissing  the  subject,  and  has  refused  to 
allow  her  mind  to  dwell  upon  it,  the  result  has  been  to  dis- 
figure her  child,  by  not  counteracting  the  arrested  develop- 
ment by  hoping  that  the  shock  would  not  disfigure  her  child. 
The  following  case  is  noted,  wherein  logical  reasons  are 
given  to  show  how  a  mother  may  counteract  the  effects  of 
such  a  scare:  Mrs.  B.  of  R.,  a  short  time  after  her  marriage, 
was  sitting  alone  sewing,  when  a  tramp  came  to  the  door,  put 
both  arms  against  the  screen  door  and  in  a  rough  voice  said, 
"Can't  you  give  me  something,  I  ain't  got  no  hands?"  Mrs. 
B.  put  both  hands  up  to  her  face  and  screamed,  "Mother! 
Mother!"  The  mother  drove  the  tramp  out  of  her  sight,  but 
Mrs.  B.  could  not  get  him  out  of  her  mind,  and  continually 
wished  and  hoped  that  her  child  would  have  perfect  hands. 
That  was  her  continual  prayer  up  to  the  time  of  its  birth;  the 
child  was  born  with  perfectly  formed  hands;  in  fact,  no  de- 
fect of  any  kind  was  noticeable.  She  is  at  this  writing  four- 
teen years  of  age.  This  scare  may  have  done  some  injury  to 
the  forming  brain  or  body,  as  it  was  a  severe  shock  to  Mrs. 
B.,  and  we  have  a  right  to  assume  that  it  arrested  the  devel- 
opment; but  her  longing  and  praying,  "Oh,  I  hope  that  my 
child  will  not  be  injured  by  this  shock  which  I  have  experi- 
enced," is  the  reason  why  it  was  not  affected,  and  accounts 


204  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

for  the  fact  that  so  many  are  not  marked  when  the  mother 
has  been  frightened.  If  a  mental  action  on  the  part  of  the 
mother  can  arrest  development,  it  is  logical  to  assume  that 
mental  action  can  assist  development. 

The  deduction  is,  that  if  Mrs.  B.  had  not  longed  and 
prayed  as  she  did,  her  child  would  have  been  marked.  Who 
is  competent  to  assert  dogmatically  that  the  shock  would  not 
have  affected  her  babe?  The  fact  that  so  many  are  born 
normal,  and  are  not  affected  by  the  mother's  mentality  so  far 
as  can  be  seen,  does  not  disprove  our  theory.  There  may  be 
a  mental  injury  which  cannot  be  seen  but  it  affects  the  child 
just  the  same  as  if  it  were  noted.  The  conclusion  is,  that 
when  a  mother  has  had  a  shock,  she  should  wish  and  hope 
that  she  may  overcome  the  injury,  and  thus  push  forward  the 
development  which  may  have  been  arrested. 

Now,  to  illustrate  a  case  where  the  mother  had  strength 
of  mind  and  will  strong  enough  to  dismiss  a  sight  which 
shocked  her,  and  she  did  just  as  she  had  been  told;  note  the 
result:  Mrs.  W.  of  W..  on  the  4th  of  July,  1895,  was  looking 
at  a  display  of  fire-works,  and  sat  within  arms-length  of  a 
woman  who  had  a  babe  in  her  lap.  A  spent  rocket  stick 
struck  the  child  in  the  head,  entering  the  brain  and  killed  the 
child.  Mrs.  W.  was  horrified  at  the  sight,  and  by  force  of 
will  banished  all  thoughts  of  it  from  her  mind,  refusing  to 
dwell  upon  it  for  fear  of  the  results  to  her  prospective  child. 
Three  months  later  her  babe  was  born.  It  had  a  perpendicu- 
lar depression  in  the  right  side  of  the  head,  into  which  a  lead 
pencil  can  be  placed.  The  cavity  is  so  deep  that  the  pencil 
cannot  be  seen  from  the  front.  What  effect  it  will  have  upon 
the  child's  intellect  cannot  be  told.  The  child  was  less  than 
six  months'  of  age  when  the  parent  gave  the  writer  the 
history  of  this  occurrence.  Mrs.  W.  had  known  of  shocks  at 
such  times  producing  imperfect  formation,  and  she  did  just 
as  she  had  been  taught, — banished  the  thought  of  the  accident 
from  her  mind,  and  refused  to  dwell  upon  it.  Suppose  Mrs. 
W.  had  hoped  and  longed  that  her  child  would  not  be  dis- 


ADVICE  TO  PROSPECTIVE  MOTHERS.  205 

figured,  who  will  assert  that  it  would  have  been  injured  just 
the  same?  Or  is  it  fair  to  assume,  that  if  she  had  hoped  and 
longed  to  overcome  the  effect  of  the  shock,  she  would  have 
assisted  nature  in  adding  flesh  and  bone  cells  where  the 
injury  was  located. 

It  is  admitted  that  the  mother  can  destroy  or  build  up 
nerve  cells  by  the  action  of  her  mind,  as  in  the  case  of  simple 
birth-marks.  It  cannot  be  successfully  controverted  that  a 
mother  does  add  flesh,  bone  and  sinews  in  the  case  of  mon- 
strosities— takes  from  one  part  and  adds  to  another, — but  her 
powers  in  that  direction  are  as  yet  a  sealed  book.  The  im- 
portant question  in  this  argument  is:  Shall  a  prospective 
mother  be  advised  not  to  worry  over  the  scare  or  shock,  and 
dismiss  it  at  once?  or  should  the  advice  be:  Hope  and  pray 
that  it  will  not  affect  your  child?  We  unhesitatingly  advise 
the  latter  course;  it  can  not  do  any  harm;  only  good  will 
be  the  result. 

Mothers,  do  not  become  downcast,  or  give  way  to  the  idea 
that  the  shock  will  be  an  injury;  rather  let  your  will  assist  in 
the  development  of  the  cells  that  were  arrested  in  their 
growth.  And  do  not  live  in  continual  fear  that  something  is 
going  to  happen.  Such  mental  action  will  produce  a  nervous 
temperament,  and  your  child  will  always  live  in  fear  that 
something  is  going  to  happen,  and  it  will  become,  as  it  were, 
a  bundle  of  nerves  and  be  unable  to  control  them.  Live  your 
daily  life  in  the  manner  and  way  you  would  prefer  that  your 
child  should  live,  and  discard  all  thoughts  and  desires  that 
are  not  good  for  yourself  at  other  times,  and  if  there  is  any 
particular  trait  of  character  you  want  your  child  to  possess, 
as  for  instance,  music,  or  some  profession,  let  that  be  upper- 
most in  your  mind;  and  in  wishing  for  it  you  will  add  to  the 
nerve  cells  which  control  the  musical  faculty  or  professional 
ability,  the  emotions  or  any  other  function,  but,  as  has  been 
remarked,  do  not  brood  over  it. 

A  gray-haired  lady,  Mrs.  S.  of  M — ,  with  tears  in  her  eyes, 
said  to  the  author:  "Before  the  birth  of  my  son,  I  had  some 


206  MATERXAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

hard  words  with  my  husband  and  resolved  that  I  would  not 
speak  to  him  again  until  he  apologized,  when  it  occurred 
to  me  that  my  child  might  be  born  unable  to  talk.  I  at 
once  overlooked  his  ill-treatment  and  was  contented.  At 
this  time  he  stinted  my  allowance  of  funds,  and  I  stole  from 
the  money  drawer.  My  son  will  steal  any  valuables  from  his 
own  folks  and  sell  them  to  get  money — took  his  sister's  watch 
and  my  gold  chain,  a  new  suit  and  a  diamond  pin  of  his 
father's;  but  he  has  never  been  known  to  take  a  thing  from 
anyone  except  his  nearest  relatives."  She  added,  with  the 
tears  running  down  her  cheeks,  "You  can  rest  assured,  I 
would  not  mention  this,  but  do  so  in  hopes  that  it  may  be 
a  warning  to  some  other  mother." 

In  case  a  mother  desires  a  certain  characteristic  in  her 
child,  if  she  longs  for  it,  her  wishes  will  be  gratified.  To 
illustrate:  Mrs.  I.  of  P — ,  has  an  exceptionally  bright  child. 
When  the  child  was  three  months  old  that  fact  was  com- 
mented upon  by  some  of  her  friends,  when  the  mother  said, 
<(I  impressed  that  upon  her."  "How  did  you  come  to  do 
that?"  the  writer  asked.  She  replied,  "I  have  seen  so  many 
dull  children  in  my  school  work,  who  could  not  understand 
what  was  told  them.  I  wanted  my  child  to  be  quick  to  per- 
ceive and  to  comprehend,  and  let  my  mind  dwell  upon  it, 
hoping  to  get  a  favorable  result.  I  had  been  told  that  it 
could  be  done,  and  I  am  convinced  that  it  is  possible.'' 
As  the  child  grew,  her  ability  to  understand  and  comprehend 
was  remarkable. 

An  illustration  of  the  injurious  effect  of  quiet,  persistent 
thought,  the  mother  entirely  unconscious  of  the  effect  it 
would  have:  Mrs.  J.  of  L — ,  has  a  son,  at  this  writing,  aged 
17,  whose  physical  defects,  when  standing  still,  would  not 
be  noticed;  but  when  he  walks,  instead  of  lifting  his  feet, 
drags  his  toes, — that  is  to  say,  places  one  foot  forward  and 
drags  the  other  up,  placing  it  ahead  and  dragging  the  other 
after  it.  His  mother  said:  "Before  his  birth,  a  hog  belong- 
ing to  me  had  injured  its  back,  and  I  often  looked  at  it, 


ADVICE  TO  PROSPECTIVE  MOTHERS.  207 

sympathetically  wondering  what  I  could  do  for  it,  and  this 
was  the  cause  of  my  child's  infirmity."  By  this  quiet,  per- 
sistent mental  process,  she  arrested  the  development  of  the 
cells  from  which  the  nerves  and  muscles  are  constructed,  and 
which  would  have  controlled  the  movement  of  that  boy's  feet. 

We  assert  that  each  and  every  thought,  or  emotion,  which 
passes  through  the  mother's  mind,  is  impressed  upon  the 
yielding  body  which  she  is  forming.  Even  the  muscles  and 
nerves,  as  well  as  the  brain,  of  a  child  may  be  affected  by  the 
mother's  mentality. 

To  illustrate:  Mrs.  O.  of  M — ,  in  passing  over  a  foot- 
bridge, fell  into  the  pond,  and  involuntarily  held  her  breath 
as  she  went  under  the  water.  Her  child,  born  shortly  after 
this  accident,  will  at  times,  while  asleep,  catch  and  hold  its 
breath,  just  as  the  mother  did  when  she  fell  into  the  water. 

No  up-to-date  physician  will  deny  that  such  effects  are 
liable  to  be  produced,  but  will  warn  his  patients  to  beware  of 
accidents. 

If  the  desire  is  for  some  particular  article  of  food,  a  long- 
ing for  it  will  produce  the  desire  in  the  child  for  the  same 
thing.  Mrs.  S.  of  R — ,  said  to  the  author:  "A  few  hours 
after  the  birth  of  my  third  child,  it  was  noticed  to  be,  as  it 
was  called,  rooting  around,  trying  to  get  something  into  its 
mouth,  as  it  lay  upon  the  pillow.  My  sister,  who  was  acting 
as  nurse,  said:  'What  does  this  child  want?'  I  replied,  'I 
think  it  wants  some  fresh  beef.'  My  husband,  who  had 
always  refused  to  believe  that  a  mother's  impressions  affected 
a  child,  made  light  of  it.  The  sister  said  to  my  husband, 
'Let  us  try  and  see  if  this  baby  knows  what  it  wants;  you  go 
and  get  a  piece  of  beef  and  a  piece  of  pork.'  They  were 
brought,  and  a  piece  of  the  latter  was  tied  into  a  cloth, 
making  a  sort  of  teat  out  of  it;  this  was  offered  to  the  babe, 
but  he  refused  it.  It  was  put  into  his  mouth,  but  he  spit 
it  out.  Then  a  piece  of  beef  was  offered  in  the  same  man- 
ner. This  was  eagerly  accepted;  he  sucked  it  a  few  moments, 
after  which  there  was  no  more  rooting  around.  My  husband 


208  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

was  instantly  converted  to  the  truth  of  maternal  impressions, 
an  opinion  which  I  had  often  asserted  and  which  he,  up  to 
that  moment,  had  refused  to  believe." 

A  different  case :  Mrs.  W.  of  P — ,  an  Israelite,  before  the 
birth  of  her  first  child,  smelled  fried  pork  and  longed  for  a 
taste  of  it,  but  her  religion  forbade.  The  father  was  relating 
the  circumstances — the  boy  was  at  this  time  21  years  old  — 
when  the  mother  said,  "I  can  taste  it  yet."  When  the  boy 
was  born  he  positively  refused  the  breast  or  bottle.  The 
nurse  asked,  "What  does  this  child  want?"  The  mother  re- 
plied, "I  do  not  know  of  anything  except  pork."  The  father 
at  once  got  a  strip  of  pork,  let  the  child  suck  it  a  few 
moments.  He  was  then  ready  to  nurse.  The  father  added: 
"The  rabbi  has  taught  him  that  hell  was  yawning  before 
him  and  he  would  go  there  sure,  if  he  ate  pork,  but  pork  he 
will  eat  in  spite  of  the  warning." 

When  an  infant  moans  and  worries,  crying  in  unmistak- 
able tones  of  entreaty,  and  no  cause  for  pain  can  be  found, 
how  often  the  remark  is  made,  "What  does  this  child  want?" 
It  puzzles  the  parent  and  nurse.  Let  the  mother  consider 
whether  she  had  longed  for  some  article  of  food  or  drink, 
and  if  so,  then  give  it  a  taste;  if  that  is  not  what  it  wants, 
it  will  be  refused,  but  in  most  cases  it  will  relieve  the  child 
at  once. 

Illustration:  A  child  of  Mrs.  G.  of  C.  F.,  when  it  was 
three  days  old  some  beef  was  put  on  to  cook.  The  child 
began  to  cry  piteously.  Someone  said,  "What  is  the  matter 
with  the  baby?"  The  mother  replied,  "It  wants  some  of  that 
beef."  A  small  piece  was  given  it  to  suck,  and  at  once  it  was 
quieted. 

Such  incidents  have  been  frequently  related  by  mothers 
to  the  author,  since  the  problem  of  maternal  impressions  has 
been  under  investigation,  and  my  conclusions  are,  that  the 
child  is  craving  for  the  particular  article  which  the  mother 
longed  for,  and  the  fact  is  so  important  and  so  valuable  a 
contribution  to  the  general  investigation  of  the  subject  of 


ADVICE  TO  PROSPECTIVE  MOTHERS.  209 

maternal  impressions,  that  it  was  thought  proper  to  make  a 
note  of  it  in  this  chapter.  It  is  offered  in  the  nature  of  a 
hint,  which  any  mother  01  nurse  can  try  without  risk  to 
the  child.  It  will  at  once  show  by  its  actions  whether  that 
article  is  what  it  wanted  or  not;  that  is,  if  it  craves  an  oyster 
it  would  not  accept  a  piece  of  beef,  and  what  it  is  seeking  for 
we  think  it  should  have,  in  moderation,  for  its  full  develop- 
ment. See  case  of  Mrs.  B..  Chapter  I.,  whose  grandchild 
wanted  fat  pork. 

The  author  is  aware  that  he  is  inviting  criticism,  but 
hopes  that  intelligent  criticisms  may  assist  in  developing  the 
truth.  He  is  also  cognizant  that  his  conclusions  are  contrary 
to  the  idea  which  underlies  a  law  lately  passed  in  France 
which  prohibits  the  giving  of  any  solid  food  to  a  child  under 
eleven  months  of  age.  Nor  do  we  wish  to  be  understood  that 
a  child  should  be  fed  daily  upon  the  article,  but  simply  mean 
that  a  taste  of  the  thing  it  craves  is  needed  to  develop  its 
physical  nature,  and  its  organism  demands  the  article  for 
which  it  is  seeking,  as  in  one  case  orange,  another  fish,  and 
one  an  oyster.  More  illustrations  could  be  given,  but  they 
are  unnecessary. 

It  would  be  advisable  for  every  physician,  mother  or 
nurse,  to  remember  the  remarks  of  a  medical  professor  to  his 
class,  as  related  by  a  physician  to  the  writer.  The  professor 
stepped  on  the  platform  at  a  clinic,  ( a  lecture  to  medical  stu- 
dents) and  said:  "Gentlemen,  I  have  just  come  from  the  in- 
vestigation of  a  peculiar  case.  Two  weeks  ago  I  attended  a 
patient,  whose  baby  has  cried  and  moaned  almost  continu- 
ously since  its  birth ;  the  parents  have  had  sleepless  nights 
and  uncomfortable  days  on  its  account.  I  was  called  again 
to-day,  and  made  a  careful  examination,  but  could  find  nothing 
wrong;  I  then  asked  the  mother  if  there  was  anything  she 
had  longed  for.  She  replied,  'Yes,  I  wanted  a  taste  of  beer.' 
I  sent  for  a  bottle,  gave  the  child  a  teaspoonful  of  it,  and  at 
once  it  was  quiet.  I  have  been  watching  that  child  over  two 
houro  since,  but  not  a  sound  has  escaped  its  lips."  The  pro- 


210  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

fessor  then  proceeded  with  his  lecture  to  the  class.  Did  the 
medical  world  profit  by  this  experience?  "We  say,  No.  It 
passed  from  memory;  no  record  was  made  of  it,  as  there  is  no 
account  of  it  in  medical  lore,  and  the  doctor  who  related  the 
circumstance  added,  "I  have  never  thought  of  it,  until  your 
conversation  recalled  the  incident." 

The  reader  is  requested  not  to  infer  that  feeding  a  baby 
solid  food  or  beer  is  advised,  only  in  cases  as  are  here  de- 
scribed, and  then  only  in  the  nature  of  medicine. 

Mrs.  G.,  of  K.,  just  after  her  marriage,  took  charge  of  an 
orphan  baby,  to  which  she  became  very  much  attached.  As 
the  time  approached  when  she  would  be  unable  to  attend  to 
the  orphan,  it  was  placed  in  other  hands  and  became  afHicted 
with  erysipelas,  which  appeared  on  the  left  ear,  spreading 
over  the  face.  A  daily  report  of  its  condition  was  made  to 
Mrs.  G.  First  the  left  ear  was  swollen;  then  it  spread  to  the 
middle  of  the  left  cheek;  next  it  had  reached  the  middle  of 
the  face;  then  the  right  cheek;  next  the  right  ear,  disappear- 
ing in  the  same  manner.  Her  child  was  born  shortly  after. 
When  he  was  seven  months  old,  something  which  looked  like 
erysipelas,  but  there  was  no  eruption,  appeared  upon  his  left 
ear,  then  spread  over  the  face  to  the  right  ear,  exactly  as  in 
the  case  of  the  orphan  baby.  At  the  time  the  mother  related 
these  facts  the  boy  was  seventeen  years  old,  never  had  any- 
thing of  the  kind  since,  nor  is  there  a  trace  of  erysipelas  in 
the  entire  family. 

If  the  mother's  thoughts  have  reference  to  an  emotion,  it 
will  affect  that  part  of  the  brain  which  governs  that  particular 
emotion.  Take  the  case  of  Mrs.  T.,  of  K.:  A  few  months 
after  her  marriage  some  girl  friends  called  upon  her,  and  in 
fun  pointed  their  fingers  at  her,  saying,  "Ain't  you  ashamed 
of  yourself,"  referring  to  her  condition.  After  they  were  gone 
Mrs.  T.  went  to  her  room  and  cried  over  the  girls'  remarks. 
Her  child,  when  last  seen  by  the  writer,  was  six  years  of  age, 
and  if  anyone,  stranger  or  friend,  points  a  finger  at  her,  she 
will  burst  into  a  fit  of  crying,  and  she  cannot  be  cured  of  it. 


ADVICE  TO  PROSPECTIVE  MOTHERS.  211 

Another  case  is  given,  as  a  lesson  to  young  mothers:  Mrs. 
M.,  of  la.,  has  three  sons,  who,  when  small,  were  known  as 
the  town  sneaks — they  would  never  stand  out  openly  on  the 
sidewalk  with  other  bojrs,  but  would  get  behind  a  tree,  or  box. 
or  the  corner  of  the  house,  unconsciously  trying  to  hide  their 
bodies.  The  mother  was  very  bashful  and  sensitive.  She 
persistently  refused  to  show  herself  while  in  the  condition 
under  discussion,  and  always  .tried  to  hide  her  body  behind 
something;  in  the  store  she  would  get  behind  a  pile  of  goods 
or  the  show  case.  Her  sons  are  now  grown  to  manhood,  but 
have  never  overcome  that  peculiarity;  in  all  other  respects 
they  are  model  characters. 

It  would  be  advisable  to  impress  upon  the  minds  of  mar- 
ried women,  under  middle  age,  never  to  visit  blind  asylums, 
insane  hospitals,  or  reformatory  institutions,  or  to  look  at  any 
object  that  would  be  liable  to  return  to  the  memory,  at  the 
periods  we  are  discussing.  The  memory  of  unusual  objects 
is  liable  to  return  and  fix  itself  in  the  mother's  mind,  and  if 
ignorant  of  the  effect,  she  may — I  do  not  say  will — produce 
an  imbecile  or  a  deformed  offspring.  We  say  never  visit  such 
places,  or  look  at  such  objects,  unless — now  mark  the  con- 
clusion— unless  she  is  thoroughly  schooled  upon  the  subject, 
and  has  been  taught  how  to  overcome  uncanny  sights.  If  she 
is  educated  upon  that  line,  she  will  know  that  one  mental 
action  will  counteract  its  opposite,  and  will  be  able  to  coun- 
teract improper  impressions. 

There  can  be  no  possible  harm  arising  from  a  thorough 
education  upon  this  line.  An  intelligent  comprehension  of 
the  natural  law  which  governs  mothers  at  such  times,  will  en- 
able a  mother  to  use  her  common  sense  in  connection  with 
her  God-given  maternal  instincts;  these,  combined  with  phys- 
ical health,  can  only  be  productive  of  good.  Again  we  say, 
that  a  study  of  maternal  impressions  will  be  beneficial  in  its 
results  to  the  parents,  and  what  is  of  much  more  importance, 
a  blessing  to  the  child,  and  the  world. 

Mothers,  draw  your  own  conclusions.     The  case  is  stated 


212  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

in  as  plain  a  manner  as  it  can  be  given,  and  if  the  result  is 
that  only  one  human  being  will  be  saved  from  some  affliction, 
the  time  and  thought  expended  will  have  been  amply  repaid, 
even  though  we  may  never  be  conscious  that  good  has  been 
done.  The  theory  here  advanced,  if  thoroughly  disseminated, 
can  only  be  productive  of  good  to  future  generations. 

This  entire  subject  is,  to  most  persons,  problematical,  but 
a  study  of  it  will  lead  to  positive  convictions,  and  I  firmly  be- 
lieve that  the  theory  of  Maternal  Impressions  is  the  correct 
one;  nor  has  the  writer  hesitated  to  follow  any  line  of  investi- 
gation to  its  legitimate  conclusions  in  every  phase  of  the  sub- 
ject that  has  presented  itself,  and  has  been  irresistably  led  to 
the  convictions  here  given.  Whether  true  or  false,  it  all  hap- 
pens as  though  it  were  true. 


CHILD  RECORD.  213 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

CHILD   RECORD. 

The  following  is  added  to  enable  parents  to  make  and 
preserve  the  record  of  the  various  items  as  are  noted,  from 
birth,  every  fifth  year,  until  majority.  Such  a  record  will  be 
of  great  assistance  in  the  study  of  a  child's  adaptability.  It 
is  arranged  so  that  it  will  be  easy  to  fill  the  blanks.  In  its 
life  history,  it  would  be  desirable  to  consult  with  some  inti- 
mate friend,  and  its  teacher  as  well,  in  the  tenth  and  fif- 
teenth years'  statement;  coming  from  unbiased  minds  it 
would  be,  perhaps,  nearer  correct. 

Under  the  head  of  special  traits,  its  natural  habits  or 
characteristics  should  be  noted.  Is  it  orderly  or  disorderly; 
its  care  of  clothes  and  playthings;  is  it  kind  and  gentle,  or 
cruel  toward  its  companions  or  pets;  noisy  or  quiet;  a  tease 
or  the  reverse;  active  or  slow  in  movement;  fond  of  reading 
or  the  reverse;  also  any  other  peculiarity. 

In  the  parent's  record:  The  mother's  disposition  and 
mental  condition  should  be  noted ;  was  she  angry  or  pleased 
to  discover  her  condition,  or  did  she  wish  to  be  freed  from 
her  burden;  did  she  have  any  longing  for  any  particular 
article  of  food,  or  desire  any  other  thing;  did  she  wish  for 
the  ability  to  be  a  good  musician,  actor,  conversationalist,  or 
wish  that  she  could  do  some  other  special  thing. 

All  such  points,  if  recorded  honestly,  with  no  attempt  to 
conceal,  will  throw  a  great  deal  of  light  as  to  the  effect  of 
maternal  impressions  upon  a  child's  future,  and  it  may  be  of 


214 


MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 


great  value  to  the  child  in  its  mature  years  as  a  guide  when 
its  time  comes  to  be  a  parent. 


Name. 


CHILD  S    DESCRIPTION. 
Sex Date  of  Birth_ 


Weight 

Length 

Girth 
urder 
the 
Arms 

Size 
at 
Waist 

Color 
of 
Eyes. 

Color 
of 
Hair. 

Marks  or  deformities. 
?ueh  as  Moles,  Hair-lip, 
Club-foot,  and  the  pre- 
sumed causes. 

At  Birth  .  . 

5th  Year  .  . 

10th  Year  . 

15th  Year  . 

20th  Year  . 

Its  Life  History,  which  would  embrace: 


Special 
Traits 

Orderly 
or 
Disorderly 

Kind 
or 
Cruel 

Noisy 
or 
Quiet 

Strong 
or 
Weak 

Likes  and  Dislikes 
for 

Food 

Play 

5th  Year  .  . 

• 

10th  Year 

15th  Year  . 

20th  Year  . 

PARENT'S  RECORD. 


,       f  Father  ......        minr  of  FVP*  /  Father  ......      p  ,        f  R  .    j  Father  ...... 

Age  t  Mother  ......  tj  es  1  Mother.  ...  Hair  \  Mother  ..... 


Mother's  mental  Condition:— Pleased,  or  not? 

Any  quiet,  steady  impression? The  thing  longed  for 

Was  she  shocked  at  any  time? Did  she  study  any  specialty?  . 


PART  III 


EPILEPSY.  217 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

EPILEPSY. 

"A  point  which  yesterday  was  invisible,  ia  a  goal  to-day,  and  will  be  the  start- 
ing point  to-morrow." 

Before  an  intelligent  investigation  can  be  carried  on,  in 
regard  to  the  disorder  in  mankind  known  as  Epilepsy,  it  will 
be  necessary  to  define  the  term. 

That  which  is  adopted  in  this  work,  is:  An  epileptic  has 
a  weakened  brain  structure  and  is,  in  addition,  physically 
weak,  from  the  fact  that  the  entire  organism  has  been  injured 
by  the  causes  which  weakened  the  brain  process.  An  idiot 
proper,  is  not  physically  weak;  there  is  an  unbalanced 
brain,  that  is,  too  much  in  some  parts  and  not  enough  in 
other  sections,  to  equalize  it. 

An  epileptic  may  be  an  idiot  also,  not  alone  because  of  a 
weak  brain  structure,  but  it  may  be  unbalanced;  so  that  the 
idiotic  epileptic  has  a  structurally  abnormal  brain;  at  the 
same  time  it  is  unevenly  distributed,  which  makes  the  indi- 
vidual idiotic  as  well  as  epileptic.  In  the  investigation  and 
treatment  of  the  subject,  "The  Cause  of  Epilepsy,"  it  was  im- 
possible to  find  any  conclusions  among  those  who  are  con- 
sidered to  be  experts  upon  the  question;  not  an  idea  or 
suggestion  can  be  found  which  will  enable  a  student  of 
causation  to  begin;  nor  a  hint  how  to  proceed  with  its  study. 
So  that  the  object  of  this  chapter,  is  not  alone  to  warn  the 
reader  how  to  avoid  the  production  of  epileptics,  but  also  to 
suggest  a  plan  by  which  the  student  may  discover  more  facts, 


218  MATERXAL   ftfPRESSIONS. 

which  will  lead  to  still  closer  data,  and  he  may  possibly 
arrive  at  definite  conclusions  as  to  the  inciting  cause  of 
epilepsy. 

The  anatomical  data  to  which  reference  is  made,  clearly 
proves  that  epilepsy  is  a  brain  disorder.  It  is  indisputable, 
and  must  be  accepted,  coming  as  it  does  from  most  eminent 
authority;  so  that  in  its  study,  the  basis  from  which  to  begin 
an  investigation,  is  the  brain  structure.  That  will  lead  to 
and  develop  the  cause  in  the  balance  of  the  organism. 

In  this  argument  there  is  no  attempt  to  indulge  in  pre- 
conceived ideas,  as  there  were  none;  no  writer  can  be  found 
who  has  arrived  at  any  conclusion,  except  the  anatomical 
data  referred  to  in  this  chapter,  which  is  conceded  by  all 
experts  upon  epilepsy,  if  there  are  any. 

The  study  of  eminent  authorities  and  investigations  at 
imbecile  asylums  and  insane  hospitals,  as  well  as  at  the  homes 
of  epilepties,  has  led  to  the  conclusions  given  in  this  work. 
The  most  satisfactory  data  was  found  in  interviewing  the 
mothers.  That  was  the  fountain  head,  as  it  were,  and  facts 
were  discovered  from  which  a  premise  could  be  formulated 
that  was  much  more  satisfactory  than  all  the  "We  do  not 
knows"  of  all  scientists. 

With  these  preliminary  remarks,  a  few  quotations  from 
so-called  experts  upon  epilepsy  are  submitted: 

The  reader  will  bear  in  mind  that  we  are  investigating  con- 
genital epilepsy  only — that  is,  those  who  are  born  epileptics. 

Dr.  Da  Costa  says:  "Epilepsy  is  a  symptom,  and  not  a 
disease." 

Dr.  Gray  says:  "Our  conception  of  epilepsy  will  be  greatly 
simplified,  if  at  the  outset  we  recognize  the  fact  that 
epilepsy  is  but  a  symptom,  just  as  is  a  cough  or  fever,  so  that 
epilepsy  may  be  divided  into  those  cases  which  are  due  to 
recognizable  organic  disease;  those  that  are  reflex,  and  those 
which  we  may  call  idiopathic.  In  rare  cases,  epilepsy  may 
be  caused  by  disease  of  the  heart  and  of  the  kidneys,  occa- 
sionally impairment  of  function  of  the  intellectual  organs, 


EPILEPSY.  219 

and  rarely  of  the  lungs."  He  says  further:  "The  brain  cells 
of  an  epileptic  are  in  a  condition  of  high  instability;  are 
liable  to  pass  from  normal  to  abnormal  activity." 

Dr.  Charles  West  says:  "There  is,  in  nearly  all  cases,  dis- 
order of  the  brain  before  an  outburst  of  convulsions 

Permanent  epilepsy  may  be  produced  after  birth  by  causes 
acting  upon  the  emotions,  by  fright,  overstudy,  or  violent  fits 
of  passion." 

Another  writer  says;  "Fright  or  great  excitement  is  the 
most  common  cause."  This  implies  that  the  cause  is  in  the 
person's  environment  and  that  it  is  not  congenital.  He  also 
speaks  of  an  "Epileptic  habit,"  as  though  it  was  something 
acquired  after  the  individual  was  born;  mentions  a  case  of 
an  attack  upon  a  child  at  six  months  of  age,  the  second  at- 
tack was  at  two  years,  the  third  at  four  years  and  a  half,  the 
fourth  at  sixteen  years,  at  last  ended  in  permanent  epilepsy, 
and  he  calls  it  an  epileptic  habit.  Such  deductions  seem  un- 
warranted, when  it  is  considered  that  a  habit  is  a  conscious 
action  which  in  time  becomes  fixed.  The  inference  of  the 
gentleman's  argument  is,  That  one  can  produce  a  change  in 
the  structure  of  the  brain,  solely  by  force  of  will;  alter,  as  it 
were,  his  own  brain  cells,  or  gray  matter.  This  conclusion 
will  admit  of  argument,  and,  looking  at  it  logically,  we  would 
say  that  it  is  impossible  for  an  individual  to  change  the  brain 
structure,  so  that  the  theory  of  an  epileptic  habit,  is  to  say  the 
least,  illogical.  Arguments  like  the  above,  when  given  to 
persons  who  lack  the  power  of  analysis,  are  misleading  and 
injurious,  in  the  sense  that  they  hinder  a  more  thorough  in- 
vestigation. 

The  student  should  be  advised  to  find  out,  Why  did  one 
child  have  an  attack  of  epilepsy  at  six  months,  or  any  other 
age,  and  another,  of  the  same  parentage,  was  free  from  any 
like  attacks?  Why  was  one  child's  brain  structure  too  weak 
to  withstand  a  disorder  of  the  digestive,  intestinal,  or  any 
other  organic  difficulty,  which  affected  its  brain? 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  epilepsy  is  such  a  wide-spread  dis- 


220  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

order,  a  careful  study  of  the  cause  and  the  necessity  for  a 
remedy  is  apparent,  and  is  of  the  deepest  significance  to  all 
who  are  concerned  in  the  welfare  of  mankind.  Epilepsy  has 
engaged  the  attention  of  many  investigators,  and  the  result 
of  their  studies  has  added  but  little  to  the  science  of  medi- 
cine. All  agree  that  epilepsy  is  a  brain  disorder,  and  it  has 
been  classified  into  grand  mal  (severe  cases)  and  petit  mal 
(mild  cases). 

Dr.  Hamilton  says:  "Epilepsy  has  been  known  by  a 

variety  of  names The  ancients  called  some  cases 

'Sacred,'  as  they  could  not  be  cured  by  any  human  process, 

but  it  must  be  done  by  a  divine  power They  also 

called  some  'Comitia,'  because  the  epileptic  attacks  occurred 
in  crowded  assemblages,  and  the  term  falling  sickness  is  well 
known  in  this  age." 

Dr.  Gower  says:  "Three-quarters  of  the  infantile  con- 
vulsions are  said  to  be  from  teething,  and  epilepsy  dates  from 
that  time  and  is  caused  by  defective  development  and  termed 
rickets."  If  some  investigator  had  inquired,  Why  was  there 
a  defective  development?  A  clearer  insight  into  the  cause  of 
epilepsy  might  have  been  the  result.  But  there  are  no  studies 
looking  to  that  end. 

Dr.  Gower  says  further:  "There  was  a  theory  of  warning 
in  regard  to  epilepsy,  held  by  the  Greeks,  and  it  was  called 
'Aura'  (vapor),  caused  by  a  vapor  which  passed  up  the  ex- 
tremities  Marriage  has  no  influence  on  the  disease, 

either  beneficial  or  the  reverse;  there  is  no  certainty  that  the 

taint  will  be  transmitted There  is  a  probability  that 

a  child  will  escape;  there  is  also  a  probability  against  the 
escape  of  all  the  children."  The  two  last  statements  seem  to 
be  contradictory,  and  are  confusing  to  one  who  is  looking 
for  facts. 

Various  surgical  operations  have  been  tried  upon  epi- 
leptics, but  they  have  not  succeeded  in  clearing  away  the 
cloud  which  obscures  the  origin  of  the  various  forms  of  this 
dread  disorder. 


EPILEPSY.  221 

Dr.  Gray  refers  to  Dr.  Chaslin,  as  follows:  "In  dissecting 
the  brains  of  five  epileptics  I  found  the  convolutions  shriv- 
eled, small,  hard,  smooth  or  slightly  roughened.  A  micro- 
scopical examination  of  the  fundamental  lesion  shows  that  it 

is  due  to  a  number  of  rough  fibrilla And  I  found 

large,  compact  bundles  of  them They  resisted  the 

action  of  a  forty  per  cent  solution  of  potassia  for  ten  minutes. 
....  I  then  washed  them  in  water  and  concentrated  acetic 
acid,  and  the  bundles  of  fibres  remained,  after  washing,  col- 
ored red  by  the  picro-carmine  that  was  used.  These  rough 
fibrilla,  from  the  epileptic  brains,  can  be  preserved  after  wash- 
ing in  water.  The  connective  tissues,  when  treated  in  the 
same  manner,  lose'  color  and  plainly  show  that  they  are  organ- 
ically composed  of  a  different  substance."  Dr.  Gray  says: 
"Dr.  Chaslin  deserves  merit  for  his  careful  investigation,  and 
gives  it  an  importance  beyond  any  former  description." 

The  reader  is  requested  to  bear  the  statement  of  Dr.  Chas- 
lin in  mind,  as  it  will  be  referred  to  again,  and  a  logical  de- 
duction drawn  from  his  anatomical  data. 

There  are  cases  on  record  of  the  birth  of  idiots, — not  epi- 
leptics— that  were  attributed  to  a  shock  experienced  by  the 
mother  at  the  siege  of  Antwerp,  also  at  the  siege  of  Paris  in 
in  the  Franco-Prussian  war.  But  those  cases  are  compara- 
tively few,  when  the  immense  number  of  imbeciles  are  con- 
sidered. 'Tis  true,  there  are  cases  where  sudden  alarms  have 
affected  the  structure  of  a  prospective  child,  and  the  mothers 
should  be  taught  how  to  overcome  the  effect  of  them. 
[See  chapters  on  Mothers  Longings,  and  Advice  to  Pros- 
pective Mothers.] 

To  return  to  the  subject  of  cause.  It  is  admitted  that  a 
large  majority  of  epileptics  are  born  so.  Comparatively  few 
become  epileptic  after  birth,  except  it  be  through  a  con- 
genital weakness  of  the  brain  structure.  The  first  investiga- 
tion should  be  to  find  out  why  sound  and  otherwise  healthy 
parents,  produce  the  weak  brains  in  epileptics.  When  this 
has  been  done,  and  the  cause  discovered,  efforts  can  be  put 


222  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

forth  to  educate  the  coming  parents;  if  this  is  not  done,  it  is 
fair  to  assume  that  congenital  epileptics  will  increase  as  they 
have  in  the  past.  So  far,  not  even  a  plausible  theory  as  to 
the  cause  has  been  advanced,  in  fact,  no  theory  at  all  by 
scientists  in  the  medical  world;  all  are  groping  in  the  dark. 
They  are  compelled  to  admit  that  the  true  nature  of  epilepsy 
is  unknown.  It  has  baffled  the  ablest  anatomist,  the  pro- 
foundest  philosophers,  and  the  keenest  scientists  of  all  ages, 
when  they  have  attempted  to  find  the  cause  of  epilepsy ;  and 
the  medical  fraternity  are  at  sea,  without  mast  or  rudder, 
while  treating  cases  of  pronounced  epilepsy.  Here  and  there 
some  pretender  assumes  to  be  able  to  cure  it.  It  is  possible 
that  some  mild  cases  of  nervous  derangement,  which  have 
been  miscalled  epilepsy,  may  have  been  relieved,  but  it  could 
not  have  been  true  epilepsy.  When  a  cure  has  been  effected, 
the  derangement  was,  no  doubt,  caused  by  some  malforma- 
tion, the  seat  of  which  was  not  in  the  brain,  but  through  its 
operation  affected  a  nerve  center  in  the  brain,  and  some 
charlatan  has  discovered  the  seat  of  that  particular  disorder, 
relieved  it,  and  then  taken  credit  for  the  cure  of  epilepsy. 

If  epilepsy  is  a  brain  disorder,  caused  by  imperfect  brain 
fibre,  as  per  Dr.  Chaslin,  it  is  incurable.  If  it  is  a  lack  of 
brain  substance  in  some  part  of  the  structure— this  would 
produce  an  idiot,  according  to  our  definition.  It  must  be 
incurable,  as  no  brain  substance  can  be  added,  by  any  human 
process,  where  it  is  lacking. 

In  an  idiot  there  is  deficiency  of  the  balance  of  parts,  and 
the  equilibrium  of  the  brain  structure  cannot  be  effected  by 
any  human  means.  All  writers  upon  epilepsy  agree  that  its 
seat  is  in  the  brain;  that  the  structure  is  malformed,  and  that 
the  disease  is  a  nervous  one,  but  cannot  be  located;  that  it  is 
caused  by  some  action  upon  the  nerves;  medical  and  surgical 
skill  has  been  unable  to  overcome  it. 

Dr.  Gray  says:  "The  truth  probably  is  that  epileptic 
manifestations  are  due  to  a  peculiar  molecular  condition  of 


EPILEPSY.  223 

the  motor  tract."  This  corroborates  Dr.  Chaslin,  as  to  im- 
perfectly formed  nerve  fibres. 

Dr.  Christian,  a  noted  French  authority,  says:  "No  one 

doubts  that  epilepsy  is  a  disease  of  the  brain And 

if  I  were' asked  the  cause,  would  say  I  do  not  know." 

Dr.  Morbridge,  of  the  asylum  for  the  feeble-minded,  at 
Glen  wood,  Iowa,  says:  "Epilepsy  is  not  an  isolated  disease, 
it  is  a  wide-spread  disorder,  finding  its  victims  among  all 
peoples,  and  in  all  walks  and  conditions  of  life."  He  says 
further:  "Epilepsy  is  a  strong  factor,  and  one  which  must 
not  be  ignored  in  estimating  the  cause  of  idiocy."  He  also 
calls  attention  to  "Occult  or  masked  epilepsy,  that  has  escaped 
proper  recognition  and  which  is  responsible  for  numerous 
crimes,  which  the  person  committing  is  unable  to  resist." 

Dr.  Maudsley  says,  in  regard  to  epileptics:  "Crime  is  an 
outlet  in  which  their  unsound  tendencies  are  discharged ;  they 
would  go  mad  if  they  were  not  criminals,  and  they  do  not  go 
mad  because  they  are  criminals." 

In  1891  a  commission  was  appointed  by  the  New  Jersey 
legislature,  to  report  the  number  of  epileptics  in  that  state, 
and  their  conclusions  were:  "That  the  most  conservative 
estimate  allows  from  two  to  five  cases  to  each  one  thousand 
of  population,  and  that  this  estimate  would  hold  good  through- 
out the  United  States."  Taking  the  lowest  estimate,  two  to 
each  thousand,  it  would  give  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thou- 
sand victims  of  this  dread  disorder  in  this  country,  and  the 
highest  estimate  would  make  it  over  three  hundred  and  sixty 
thousand. 

It  is  a  subject  which  should  command  the  profoundest 
attention  of  the  scientific  world,  as  well  as  the  individual 
interest  of  every  citizen  who  has  the  welfare  of  himself,  his 
family  and  that  of  the  nation  at  heart.  We  assert  that  in- 
vestigators of  epilepsy  have  not  looked  in  the  right  direction 
for  the  principal  cause  of  congenital  epilepsy.  They  have 
overlooked  or  failed  to  consider  an  important  predisposing 
factor.  In  their  investigation  of  an  epileptic,  they  have 


224  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

looked  wholly  to  the  physical  and  mental  condition  of  the 
individual,  from  the  standpoint  of  the  anatomist.  The  re- 
searches have  been  technical,  and  they  have  failed  to  examine 
a  factor  which  is  essentially  necessary  to  a  proper  solution  of 
the  subject.  The  technical  student  has  proceeded  upon  the 
hypothesis,  no  doubt  unconsciously,  that  the  cause  was  pro- 
duced after  birth,  and  he  has  neglected  to  look  into  the  causes 
which  formed  the  weak  brain  before  its  birth. 

The  theory  which  is  advanced  in  this  argument  was  care- 
fully examined;  each  idea  investigated  from  every  conceiva- 
ble standpoint,  and  phenomena  which  has  confounded  the 
technical  student  became  very  clear  to  the  writer.  The  con- 
clusions to  which  I  have  arrived  may  or  may  not  be  correct. 
At  least,  they  have  the  merit  of  being  logical;  a  theory  has 
been  formulated,  from  which  investigation  can  be  carried  on, 
and  it  is  a  basis  from  which  further  studies  can  be  made. 

"The  importance  of  an  incomplete  theory  lies  in  its  sug- 
gestiveness,  by  which  it  leads  to  the  true  theory."  And  we 
have  at  all  times  kept  in  mind  Huxley's  "Guiding  Rule," 
which  is  here  reiterated,  "Give  assent  to  no  propositions, 
except  those,  the  truth  of  which  is  so  clear  that  they  cannot  be 
doubted."  All  sincere  seekers  after  truth,  will  accept  any 
light  which  can  be  thrown  upon  the  dread  subject  of 
epilepsy. 

The  cause  of  epilepsy  is  admitted  to  be  brain  disorder, 
and  naturally  the  first  thing  to  do,  is  to  find  out  the  cause  of 
the  imperfect,  or  weakened  brain  formation.  Nature  has 
been  obstructed  in  some  way,  and  there  will  be  found  the  key 
to  its  solution.  The  conclusion — that  the  predisposing  cause? 
the  effect  of  which  is  true  epilepsy,  where  the  parents  are 
physically  and  mentally  sound,  and  the  mother  has  experi- 
enced no  fright  or  injury — is,  that  the  mother  has  attempted 
an  unsuccessful  abortion  by  the  use  of  more  or  less  powerful 
drugs;  and  that  in  proportion  to  the  strength  and  frequency 
of  the  dose  taken  for  that  purpose,  is  the  child's  mental  and 
physical  system  shattered.  It  has  produced  the  epileptic 


EPILEPSY.  225 

state,  or  lias  predisposed  that  weakened  brain  structure  to 
epileptic  conditions,  similar  to  a  consumptive,  who  is  not 
born  with  the  disease,  simply  weak  lungs  which  predisposes 
them  to  the  attack  of  consumption  germs.  The  cause  of 
epilepsy  then,  is  weak  brain  fibres. 

There  are  two  factors  which  should  be  considered,  as 
bearing  upon  and  favoring  the  theory — that  the  cause  of  a 
weak  brain  structure  in  an  epileptic  is  an  attempted  abortion 
by  the  use  of  chemicals  or  drugs. 

First. — The  mother's  earnest  desire  to  rid  herself  of  her 
burden,  secretly.  Such  a  mental  operation  would  of  itself 
produce  brain  malformation — we  do  not  say  an  epileptic  brain 
structure.  Right  here  a  passing  thought:  It  may  be  that 
such  an  earnest  desire  on  the  part  of  the  prospective  mother, 
is  the  cause  of  the  many  murderous  and  suicidal  brains  so 
common  in  this  age.  All  my  investigations  lead  to  that  con- 
clusion, and 

Secondly. — The  drug  which  is  intended  to  destroy  the 
physical  organism  of  the  prospective  child,  necessarily  weak- 
ens the  entire  system  of  the  forming  babe,  and  produces  or 
predisposes  to  epilepsy  whenever  the  conditions  are  favor- 
able, and  the  individual  is  more  or  less  an  epileptic  in 
proportion  to  the  strength  and  frequency  of  the  dose;  when 
it  does  not  kill,  it  weakens  the  entire  system  relatively. 

This  proposition  seems  indisputable  when  it  is  considered 
that  the  entire  medical  world  teaches  that  slight  changes  in 
the  food  of  the  mother,  or  her  indisposition  will  affect  the 
babe's  system  through  the  mother's  milk;  that  overheating, 
or  outbursts  of  anger  on  the  part  of  the  mother  may  produce 
spasms  in  her  child.  There  are  many  such  cases  on  record, 
and  the  following  is  given  to  illustrate  that  maternal  impres- 
sions can  and  do  produce  spasms  in  a  child  after  birth, 
although  they  were  not  of  an  epileptic  nature. 

Mrs.  Dr.  S.,  of  F.,  before  the  of  birth  her  first  child,  was 
requested  by  an  intimate  friend  to  be  present  at  her  confine- 
ment. Dr.  S.  talked  the  matter  over  with  his  wife,  and 


226  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

decided  that  it  would  not  be  likely  to  do  any  harm,  as  she 
was  forewarned.  Mrs.  S.  remained  at  the  bedside  of  her 
friend  until  the  child  was  born.  Three  months  later  Mrs.  S. 
gave  birth  to  a  bqy,  who,  in  his  sleep,  acted  like  a  woman  in 
child-birth, — after  he  was  six  months  of  age  it  was  never 
noticed;  he  had  outgrown  it.  The  writer  saw  the  child  a 
number  of  times,  was  intimately  acquainted  with  the  family. 
This  case  is  given,  not  to  add  any  weight  or  evidence  upon 
epilepsy,  but  solely  to  illustrate  what  might  occur  again,  and 
as  a  warning  to  mothers. 

In  corroboration  of  the  conclusions  as  to  epilepsy:  Mrs.  C. 
of  S.  has  a  daughter  twelve  years  of  age,  who  is  an  imbecile 
epileptic.  The  mother  admits  that  she  took  drugs  to  relieve 
herself.  She  warned  a  newly  married  woman  never  to  use 
drugs.  "That"  said  she,  pointing  to  her  child,  "is  the  result 
of  drugs." 

It  is  conceded  by  the  best  medical  authority,  that  a  child 
may  be  affected  after  a  virtual  separation  from  the  body  of 
the  mother  through  nursing.  How  much  more  damaging 
must  be  the  effect  upon  the  brain  structure  of  the  forming 
child  from  the  use  of  drugs  by  the  mother  before  its  birth; 
that  is,  while  there  is  such  an  intimate  corelation  existing 
between  the  mother  and  her  prospective  offspring,  a  double 
identity,  as  it  were,  which  is  in  closer  relation  at  such  a  time 
then  it  ever  can  be  after  birth. 

Referring  again  to  the  anatomical  researches  of  Dr.  Chaslin, 
that  "Masses  of  compact  fibrilla,  or  small  fibres,  were  found 
in  the  gray  matter  of  epileptics,  which  were  not  affected  by 
the  action  of  potassia  or  acetic  acid,"  goes  to  show,  that  some 
chemical  action  has  changed  its  composition — something 
unnatural,  and  it  is  fair  to  assume  that  drugs  were  the  cause. 
To  get  the  facts  the  mother  should  be  interviewed  upon  the 
subject. 

We  are  aware  that  this  is  a  difficult  problem  to  solve,  and 
in  taking  this  position  we  are  treading  upon  very  thin  ice. 
But  with  full  assurance  that  all  the  facts  point  toward  the 


EPILEPSY.  227 

premise  taken;  all  other  roads  lead  into  blank  space  where  no 
logical  theory  can  be  formulated. 

In  an  investigation  on  the  line  of  this  proposition,  it  is 
difficult  to  procure  satisfactory  evidence,  for  various  reasons. 
One  is,  the  element  of  time  has  interposed  between  the  birth 
of  a  child,  who  proves  to  be  an  epileptic,  and  the  knowledge 
that  it  is  epileptic.  Years  have  passed  and  the  mother  may 
have  forgotten  what  she  did,  or  what  she  had  intended  to  do 
on  that  line.  She  may  have  forgotten,  or  will  not  tell,  that 
she  attempted  to  produce  an  abortion  by  the  use  of  drugs. 

Another  difficulty  will  appear  in  the  case  of  the  birth  of  a 
poor,  weakly  infant,  that  does  not  seem  to  have  vitality 
enough  to  draw  its  breath,  when  its  parents  are  robust  and  of 
good  constitution.  In  an  attempt  to  interview  the  mother, 
and  the  accusation  being  made  that  she  had  used  drugs,  she 
will  strenuously  deny  it,  unless  the  physician  in  charge 
positively  knows  that  she  has  taken  medicines  for  that 
purpose.  Then,  and  only  then,  can  he  arrive  at  a  conclusion, 
which  will  be  made  doubly  sure  if  the  child  proves  to  be  an 
epileptic. 

In  case  the  parents  are  prominent  people  and  desirable 
patients,  the  physician's  lips  are  sealed;  he  would  not  dare 
offend  the  parents  by  making  the  charge  and  investigation. 
The  average  mother  will  protest  and  deny  the  fact  that  she 
has  attempted  to  prevent  the  maturing  of  her  offspring.  In 
many  cases  she  is  ignorant  of  the  effect  of  the  drugs  she  has 
taken;  has  been  told,  perhaps,  that  it  will  do  110  harm,  if  it 
does  no  good;  possibly  after  one  dose  she  feels  that  she  is 
doing  wrong,  and  refuses  to  take  another.  The  first  dose  has 
retarded  the  development,  and  her  offspring,  as  well  as  the 
community,  suffers  with  a  mild  case  of  epilepsy.  That  the 
effect  of  drugs  upon  the  plastic  brain  and  body  of  the  form- 
ing child  must  be  damaging,  can  hardly  be  denied. 

If  the  medical  world  will  look  for  the  cause  of  epilepsy 
from  the  standpoint  which  I  have  taken,  the  predisposing 
cause  may  be  definitely  ascertained,  and  a  careful  research 


228  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

will  place  epilepsy  among  the  preventable  diseases,  as  are 
many  of  the  malformations  of  humanity  that  are  now  known 
to  be  due  to  prenatal  impressions.  It  is  stated  upon  good 
authority  that  there  are  more  cases  of  miscarriages,  than  of 
those  who  are  matured  at  birth.  Statistics  of  the  Board  of 
Health,  1887,  prove  that  in  a  period  of  sixty-five  years,  in  the 
City  of  New  York,  the  death  of  imperfectly  formed  babies, 
or  miscarriages,  increased  from  one  in  sixteen  hundred  and 
thirty-two  births  to  one  in  eight. 

If  the  statistics  are  correct,  and  we  have  no  reason  to 
doubt  their  accuracy  as  they  are  from  Board  of  Health 
reports,  it  out  Herods-Herod !  He  did  no  greater  crime  when 
he  slew  all  the  male  children  in  Egypt  than  is  committed  in 
our  modern  time.  Who  can  comprehend  this  inhuman  and 
God  defying  crime;  this  slaughter  of  innocent  unborn 
infants,  it  is  barbarous!  merciless!  and  cowardly!  It  is  the 
most  damaging  and  wide-spread  of  any  and  all  infamies,  and 
is  enough  to  sicken  one  who  contemplates  this  horrible  vice 
which  is  practiced  not  alone  among  the  abandoned,  but  by 
intelligent  and  would-be  respectable  people. 

Another  idea  that  may  repay  investigation:  Are  any 
epileptics  to'  be  found  among  the  first  born  in  a  family? 
There  may  be  an  idiot,  but  not  an  epileptic.  In  my  experi- 
ence, never;  I  have  never  found  one;  they  are  always  of  later 
birth.  The  first  babe  is  usually  desired,  not  always,  but  in  a 
case  where  no  drugs  are  used,  the  child  is  cross  and  disa- 
greeable. See  case  of  Mrs.  R.  I  have  interviewed  a  number 
of  mothers  and  each  one  said,  "Yes,  you  are  correct,  the  use 
of  drugs  will  produce  epileptic  offspring."  It  may  be  the 
second  or  third  or  a  still  later  one,  but  in  no  case  is  it  the 
first-born.  This  fact  alone  points  to  the  correctness  of  my 
conclusions. 

There  is  an  old  truth,  which  is:  "That  wherever  there  is  a 
huge  physical  evil,  there,  as  the  parent  or  origin  of  it,  has 
moral  evil  been  to  a  proportionate  extent. 

"Through  all  time  sin  was,  is,  will  be,  the  parent  of  misery."— Thomas  Carlyle. 


EPILEPSY.  229 


"To  cure  is  the  voice  of  the  past,  to  prevent,  is  the  divine  whisper  of  to-day." 

How  can  the  production  of  epileptics  be  prevented? 
Those  in  existence  can  not  be  cured;  but  the  birth  of  others 
can  be  curtailed  by  educating  the  mothers  as  to  what  the  re- 
sult of  the  use  of  drugs  will  be  likely  to  produce  upon  her 
child.  It  will  be  more  effective  than  teaching  her  that  it  is 
murder;  many  mothers  care  nothing  for  that;  they  are  told  it 
is  not  wrong  up  to  a  certain  time;  and  it  does  not  prevent 
the  injury. 

It  is  horrible  to  contemplate  the  facts  that  there  were  95,000 
imbeciles  under  school  age  in  the  United  States  in  1890,  (see 
census),  and  a  large  majority  would  have  been  a  blessing  to 
themselves  and  to  the  world,  if  nature  had  not  been  interfered 
with  in  some  manner. 

I  have  framed  a  theory  on  what  I  believe  to  be  facts,  and 
any  one  of  fair  ability  can  verify  them  in  the  average  com- 
munity, if  care  is  used  in  collecting  precise  data,  but  care 
must  be  taken  to  get  all  the  factors  which  may  have  a  bearing 
upon  the  subject.  We  are  ready  to  accept  any  other  theory 
that  will  stand  the  test  of  logical  analysis.  If  our  theory  and 
the  facts  do  not  agree,  our  theory  must  go  to  the  wall. 


230  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

THE  CONTROL  OF  SEX  AND  THE  CAUSE   OF    HERMAPHRODISM. 

The  question  is  repeatedly  asked,  can  a  prospective  mother 
control  or  produce  sex  at  will?  That  is,  can  she  learn  how 
to  produce  a  boy  or  girl  as  she  pleases.  There  is  only  one 
answer  to  such  a  question  in  the  present  state  of  the  knowl- 
edge in  regard  to  the  process,  and  that  is,  No! 

SEX   DETERMINATION. 

It  has  been  a  subject  for  much  speculative  thought.  Up  to 
the  beginning  of  the  17th  century  there  were  500  different 
theories  advanced,  as  to  what  determines  sex,  and  the  number 
has  been  steadily  increasing.  Their  enumeration  is  too 
laborious,  nor  would  it  be  desirable,  as  it  would  weary  and  be 
liable  to  confuse  the  reader.  All  theories  upon  the  subject 
of  sex  determination  are  so  far,  and  no  doubt  always  will  be, 
in  the  nature  of  speculative  thought;  and  the  study  of  nature 
in  its  relation  to  metaphysics,  is  too  vague  and  chimerical,  it  is 
left  for  others,  who  delight  to  revel  in  mysticism. 

In  this  work  there  is  but  little  indulgence  in  the  line  of 
speculation,  and  where  it  has  been  used,  it  is  solely  to  illus- 
trate some  process  of  nature  that  could  not  be  verified. 

The  discussion  of  the  question  of  sex-control  or  sex-pro- 
duction, is  taken  up  for  the  purpose  of  warning  prospective 
mothers  of  a  danger  that  may  result  from  a  mental  interfer- 
ence; that  is  by  hoping  and  wishing  for  something  contrary 
to  the  intent  of  nature.  The  entire  subject  is  problematical 
yet  logical. 


THE  CONTROL  OF  SEX.  231 

In  discussing  this  question  it  would  be  in  order  to 
review  some  ideas  upon  the  cause  of  a  preponderance  of 
sex  in  certain  organisms,  which  can  be  found  in  Drummond's 
"Ascent  of  Man,"  that  he  has  taken  from  the  work  of  Dr. 
Yung,  a  German  scientist.  It  is  very  interesting  to  one  who 
has  never  read  them.  Dr.  Yung  experimented  with  tadpoles. 
He  found  that  in  a  normal  condition,  in  every  brood  of  one 
hundred  young  ones,  there  were  forty-three  males  and  fifty- 
seven  females.  He  then  fed  a  brood  very  nourishing  food, 
and  they  produced  seventy-one  females  to  twenty-nine  males, 
still  another  brood  to  whom  more  stimulating  food  was  given, 
the  product  was  eighty-two  females  and  eighteen  males;  one 
more  lot  was  fed  the  most  nutritious  food,  and  as  much  as 
they  could  consume,  the  result  was  ninety-two  females  and 
only  eight  males.  Dr.  Yung  then  experimented  with 
"Aphides,"  the  common  plant  louse  in  gardens.  He  found, 
that  in  the  summer  when  food  was  plenty,  not  a  single  male 
plant  louse  could  be  found.  As  soon  as  cold  weather  set  in, 
and  the  leaves  began  to  wither,  males  became  numerous.  He 
then  studied  the  subject  in  a  hot  house,  and  for  three  years 
not  a  single  male  aphide  was  found;  then  the  temperature 
was  lowered  and  very  soon  males  were  produced.  But  no 
conclusions  were  drawn  from  these  experiments,  at  least  there 
are  none  in  Prof.  Drummond's  work,  and  we  might  conclude 
that  a  large  amount  of  nutritious  food  would  result  in  an 
.abundance  of  females,  while  a  lesser  amount,  or  what  might 
be  termed  starvation,  produces  a  surplus  of  males.  But  a 
more  rational  theory  is,  that  when  food  is  plenty,  eight  males 
are  enough  to  fecundate  the  ninety-two  females;  when,  there- 
fore, starvation  sets  in  and  there  is  danger  of  the  complete 
extinction  of  the  male  element,  nature  protects  itself  against 
such  a  calamity,  and  restores,  as  it  were,  the  equilibrium. 

But  the  thought  intrudes  itself,  What  good  does  all  such 
speculation  do  toward  elevating  and  ennobling  the  human  race? 
It  is  largely  theorizing  without  any  appreciable  beneficial 
result.  Facts  to  be  of  benefit  to  mankind  should  be  so  ar- 


232  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

ranged  and  applied  that  the  average  mind  can  grasp  the  lesson 
and  the  application  of  the  truths  of  nature  to  the  elevation 
of  the  race  and  they  are,  the  crowning  object  of  all  scientific 
research ;  if  not,  they  are  worthless. 

This  leads  up  to  the  consideration  of  a  subject  that  we 
desire  to  impress  upon  the  mothers,  which  is, 

THE  DANGER  IX  TEACHING  THAT  SEX  CAN  BE  CONTROLLED. 

The  subject  to  which  we  desire  to  call  the  reader's  attention, 
and  especially  prospective  mothers,  is  the  danger  which  may 
(we  do  not  say  will)  result  from  an  attempt  to  control  or  deter- 
mine the  sex  of  their  offspring.  As  has  been  remarked  the 
argument  is  purely  problematical.  In  this  entire  work,  there 
is  held  before  the  reader's  view,  a  central  truth;  it  should 
become  to  the  student,  as  it  were,  a  seed  thought,  and  it  is  a 
fact  which  cannot  be  successfully  controverted,  which  is, 
That  the  mother  has  the  power  to  and  does  control  the  phys- 
ical form,  as  well  as  the  mental  character  of  her  child,  within 
the  limitation  of  nature,  as  has  been  remarked  in  a  preceding 
chapter. 

If  this  is  conceded,  then  we  shall  proceed  upon  the 
hypothesis,  which  must  be  strictly  and  philosophically  true, 
that  nature  alone  determines  sex.  How?  that  is  another 
speculative  phase  of  the  subject  which  we  decline  to  discuss. 

Nature  having  determined  that  a  given  human  germ  shall 
result  in  a  boy,  the  prospective  mother  at  the  end  of  thirty  or 
sixty  days,  earnestly  hopes  and  wishes  that  the  product  may 
be  a  girl.  It  may  be  by  the  operation  of  her  mind,  through  her 
longings,  that  such  mental  interference  arrests  the  progress 
of  one  set  of  generative  organs — in  this  case  male — and 
forces,  as  it  were,  a  different  set  of  generative  organs — female 
— to  a  partially  successful  issue.  That  is  to  say,  she  is  liable 
to  change  the  organs  which  nature  is  preparing,  just  as  she 
can  change  the  natural  formation  of  the  foot,  producing  a 
club  foot;  cut  off  a  hand;  add  a  finger,  or  produce  some  other 
deformity,  and  by  such  interference,  bring  into  being  a  dual 


THE  CONTROL  OF  SEX.  233 

sex,  or  to  be  more  exact,  a  sexless  individual — one  who  is 
neither  male  nor  female — one  that  is  commonly  known  as  an 
hermaphrodite. 

The  subject  cannot  be  demonstrated,  but  it  would  be  well 
for  prospective  mothers  to  weigh  the  subject  thoroughly 
before  they  attempt  to  influence  nature.  It  is  o?uv///s 
dangerous  to  interfere  with  a  natural  process.  The  last 
sentence  cannot  be  too  strongly  emphasized. 

Do  not  jump  to  the  conclusion  that  there  is  no  danger, 
nothing  to  be  feared,  because  one,  two,  or  a  dozen  mothers 
have  said,  "I  tried  that,  I  hoped  and  wished,  but  it  did  no 
good,  or  it  did  no  harm."  It  is  possible  that  the  mother 
who  did  not  succeed  in  getting  a  girl,  after  she  had  longed  for 
one,  where  nature  had  determined  a  boy,  did  not  produce 
a  deformity ;  she  may  in  such  a  case  bring  forth  an  effeminate 
character,  one  whose  nature  is  largely  girlish  instead  of  a 
vigorous  man-nature.  There  are  many  girlish  boys,  as  well 
as  torn-boy  girls  and  the  cause  may  be  just  such  mental 
interference  with  nature's  intent. 

To  illustrate :  We  have  in  mind  a  family  of  four  sons,  no 
daughters.  All  are  married,  and  have  children  except  the 
second  one.  The  mother  desired  a  daughter,  in  that  case, 
and  thereby  may  have  injured  his  reproductive  powers,  as  he 
has  been  married  ten  years,  with  no  issue.  We  say  it  is  pos- 
sible, nay  probable,  that  the  cause  of  barrenness  is  due  to 
such  longings  on  the  part  of  the  mother. 

The  subject  is  open  to  discussion,  and  may  result  in  more 
data  upon  which  to  base  conclusions.  In  the  meanwhile  it 
can  do  no  harm  to  urge  mothers  not  to  interfere  on  this  line 
with  the  course  of  nature.  That  is  to  say,  let  nature  take  its 
course  in  the  matter  of  sex  determination,  and  do  not  dwell 
upon  the  subject ;  dismiss  your  hopes  and  desires  as  to  whether 
your  child  shall  be  a  boy  or  a  girl.  I  am  fully  convinced 
that  if  this  advice  is  followed  no  possible  harm  can  arise 
either  to  the  mother  or  her  child. 


234  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 


' 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

A   STUDY   OF   CRIMINALS. 

"Criminality,  like  insanity,  waits  upon  civilization;  among  the  primitive  races 
insanity  is  rare.  True  criminality  is  also  rare."— Ellis  in  The  Criminal. 

"If  the  skin  of  a  civilized  man  is  scratched,  often  an  untamed  savage  will  be 
found  beneath." 

Crime  is  a  sign  of  some  force  at 
work  somewhere,  which  is  as  yet 
unknown  to  scientists.  It  follows 
civilization  and  accompanies  the 
victory  of  which  we  are  so  proud. 
The  intelligent  reader  of  this 
book  has  no  doubt  ere  this  become 
convinced  that  the  principal  cause 
of  the  imperfections  in  mankind  is  Maternal  Impressions, 
largely  due  to  the  imperfect  education  of  the  coming  mothers. 
The  signs  of  the  imperfect  education  of  the  mothers,  by 
which  the  effect  of 'the  present  defective  system  of  education 
is  noted,  should  be  carefully  studied. 

The  scientist  has  diagnosed  the  criminal  physically,  also 
his  misdemeanors;  the  contour  of  his  skull  and  features;  the 
ears;  eyes,  hair;  and  of  late,  the  shape  of  his  hand  with 
thumb  impression,  has  been  compared  with  normal  man. 
They  have  suggested  means  for  his  reformation,  without 
knowing  where  the  fault  lay,  except  to  call  it  a  lack  of  educa- 
tion; and  some  are  now  insisting  that  the  criminal  is  a  moral 
imbecile,  and  cannot  be  educated;  he  is  incapable  of  reform- 

1 


/ 

A  SJC/DF  OF  CRIMINALS.  235 

ation.  But  they  have  never  tried  to  discover  why  he  was 
born  a  criminal  when  his  progenitors  were  honorable  and  up- 
right. So  far  no  perceptible  good  results  have  been  accomp- 
lished, which  is  evidence  that  the  investigation  and  attempted 
reformation  has  not  been  carried  in  the  right  direction.  A 
proper  conception  of  the  cause  of  the  birth  of  those  who  are 
morally  defective  will  lead  to  a  correct  understanding,  and 
thus  clear  the  way  for  the  application  of  the  proper  remedy. 

The  fatalist  says,  "Crime  has  always  existed  and  always 
will."  Such  an  assertion  has  no  foundation  in  fact,  and  it 
cannot  be  the  cause  of  the  enormous  increase  of  crime.  The 
United  States  statistician  upon  criminality,  Mr.  Round,  calls 
attention  to  the  fact  that  the  increase  in  crime  is  out  of  all  ^, 
proportion  to  the  increase  in  population.  In  1850  the  ratio 
of  prisoners  to  each  1,000,000  of  population  was  290;  in  1860 
it  was  607;  in  1870,  853;  and  in  1880  it  was  1,169;  1890, 
1,315. 

Maternal  impressions  will  be  found  a  prime  factor  in  the 
cause  of  an  individual's  criminal  actions,  and  its  study  will 
lead  the  student  to  a  logical  explanation  of  the  phenomena. 
All  investigation,  as  to  the  great  increase  of  crime,  has  rested 
solely  upon  theories  that  have  no  foundation. — i.  e.  that  crim- 
inality is  wholly  due  to  improper  environment,  and  the  • 
faulty  education  of  the  individual. 

The  question,  Why  are  there  so  many  criminals  who  are 
seemingly  unable  to  refrain  from  criminal  acts,  is  a  subject 
which  has  received  no  attention.  The  question,  Why?  is  an 
important  one. 

It  has  been  demonstrated  that  comparatively  few  of  those 
who  are  criminals  can  help  themselves.  "They  are  born 
irresponsible,"  and  the  jurisprudence  of  the  land  will,  in  time, 
recognize  the  innate  tendencies  of  the  criminal,  and  deal  with 
him  accordingly.  They  are  irresponsible  in  the  sense  that 
they  are  born  with  a  desire  to  commit  criminal  acts,  and 
cannot  resist  the  temptation. 

A  certain  prominent  man  said  of  himself,  ''When  my  good 

jh~- 


236  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 


impulses  are  predominant,  I  would  suffer  my  right  arm  to  be 
cut  off  before  I  would  go  into  dissipation.  At  such  times 
I  shudder  at  the  thought  of  the  terrible  things  I  have  been 
guilty  of.  Some  days  my  evil  genius  comes  upon  me  un- 
awares, and  my  desire  is  to  enter  into  the  wildest  dissipation. 
At  such  times  110  power  can  restrain  me;  while  the  spirit  is 
upon  me  I  am  a  fiend,  and  it  is  with  great  effort  that  I 
restrain  myself  from  committing  murder." 

What  is  the  cause  of  such  recurring  mania?  It  is  of  the 
same  class  as  the  periodical  attacks  of  a  desire  jp  drink,  and 
is  the  result  of  an  abnormal  brain  action,  or  unbalanced  brain 
structure  with  which  the  mother  has,  through  ignorance, 
endowed  the  individual,  thus  creating  a  desire  which  that 
person  is  unable  to  resist.  The  same  argument  holds  good  in 
the  case  of  a  congenital  murderer  or  thief. 

Dr.  Jacobi  says:  "The  cause  of  abnormal  brain  action  is 
because  of  abnormal  brain  formation."  All  authorities  of 
prominence  now  recognize  that  criminals  are  the  legitimate 
result  of  an  interference  with  natural  law,  and  the  mother 
through  ignorance  of  the  effect  of  her  mentality  at  a  partic- 
ular period,  has  predisposed  her  offspring  to  a  life  of  crime. 

One  reason  why  the  cause  of  criminality  has  not  been 
solved  ere  this,  is,  that  most  investigators  of  the  subject  have 
been  looking  in  the  wrong  direction.  They  have  been  laying 
the  blame  to  the  education  of  the  individual  and  his  environ- 
ment, when  the  fact  is,  criminals  are  born  with  criminal 
tendencies,  and  the  fault  lies  in  the  non-education  of  the 
mothers  upon  the  line  of  reproduction,  or  more  properly, 
maternal  impressions.  The  conclusion  is  inevitable — that  as 
the  mother  shapes  the  physical  structure  of  her  child,  she 
gives  it  form  and  quality,  and  it  must  be  conceded  that  she 
shapes  the  brain  structure  for  good  or  evil.  The  mother  is 
unconscious  of  her  ability  to  control  the  shape  or  structure 
of  the  brain  of  her  offspring,  when  it  is  the  very  thing  about 
which  she  should  be  instructed. 

No  thorough  investigation  of  the  phenomena  of  crimin- 


A  STUDY  OF  CRIMWALS.  237 

ality  and  its  cause  has  been  undertaken.  Remedial  measures 
have  been  adopted,  but  so  far,  no  adequate  remedy  has  been 
suggested  by  any  of  the  host  of  writers  or  students  of 
criminology. 

The  shape  of  the  skull,  the  size  and  form  of  the  ears,  the 
heavy  jaws  and  all  other  physical  marks,  merely  emphasize 
the  fact  of  criminality,  they  do  not  give  any  clue  to  the  cause. 
The  labor  of  all  investigators,  as  well  as  many  prison  con- 
gresses, conventions  of  charities  and  corrections,  with  the 
efforts  of  various  governments,  is  put  forth  to  learn  the  cause 
of  the  vast  amount  of  crime.  Theory  after  theory  has  been 
advanced,  but  none  have  touched  the  root  of  the  evil — that 
is,  they  have  not  succeeded  in  curtailing  crime  to  any  appre- 
ciable extent.  One  thing  has  been  settled  by  criminologists, 
so  far  as  it  is  possible  to  settle  it,  which  is,  that  no  amount  of 
education  will  overcome  the  criminal  tendencies  of  persons 
who  are  born  with  a  desire  to  commit  criminal  acts.  They 
are  incorrigible. 

The  penologist  arranges  the  criminals  into  two  large 
classes:  "Accidental  criminals,  and  congenital  criminals." 
It  is  said  of  the  latter  class,  that  no  discipline  can  tame  them, 
nor  can  they  be  instructed  upon  the  line  of  morality.  They 
cannot  resist  the  temptation  to  do  wrong.  Thomas  Carlyle 
called  them  The  Devil's  Regiment  of  the  Line,  and  bade  them 
begone!  swiftly.  Society  does  bid  them  begone.  It  hangs 
or  sequesters  them,  and  when  we  are  told  this,  it  is  merely  a 
description  of  a  phenomena  rather  than  an  explanation  of 
the  cause  of  crime.  Nor  is  there  any  other  remedy  for  them; 
they  are  born  criminals.  Society  as  at  present  organized,  can 
do  nothing  else.  But  it  can  enlist  in  the  work  of  a  proper 
education  of  the  masses,  so  that  when  the  present  crop  of 
criminals  is  exhausted,  the  mothers  will  have  produced  a 
better  class  of  citizens,  or  at  least  the  birth  of  criminals  can 
be  greatly  restricted  if  not  entirely  eliminated. 

In  a  study  of  the  cause  of  criminality,  it  is  desirable  that 
a  careful  diagnosis  shall  be  made.  First,  as  to  which  class 


238  MATERXAL  IMPRESSIONS, 

the  individual  belongs — an  accidental  or  a  congenital  crim- 
inal. The  lines  which  separate  the  criminal  classes,  are  often 
faint  and  hardly  perceptible.  It  will  take  close  and  pains- 
taking research  to  be  able  to  arrive  at  correct  conclusions. 
Prof.  Galton  says,  "Natural  groups  have  nuclei  but  not  out- 
line." Prof.  Lombroso  holds  that  "a  born  criminal  is  an 
epileptic."  That  depends  largely  upon  the  definition  of 
epilepsy.  As  has  been  remarked,  an  epileptic  has  a  weak- 
ened brain  structure,  that  is,  the  brain  fibres  are  abnormal, 
and  an  idiot  has  an  unbalanced  brain.  A  criminal,  like  the 
idiot,  has  a  brain  structure  which  is  not  well  balanced;  the 
structure  is  crooked  or  malformed,  but  not  physically  weak, 
as  are  the  epileptics.  [See  chapter  on  Epilepsy.]  Prof. 
Bain  says,  "The  association  of  brain  malformation  with 
derangement  of  mind,  is  well  established,  and  does  not  admit 
of  argument."  In  the  post  mortem  examination  of  the  brains 
of  thirty  inmates  of  insane  asylums,  every  case  was  found  to 
be  a  marked  departure,  in  one  form  or  another,  from  a  normal 
brain  structure. 

In  the  light  of  all  other  facts  which  may  be  collected  in  the 
investigation  of  any  criminal,  the  mental  characteristics  of 
the  individual  must  be  studied,  if  we  hope  for  light  upon  the 
cause  of  his  criminality,  particularly  if  his  antecedents  are 
good.  For  the  time  being  forget  that  he  is  a  criminal,  study 
him  and  his  mentality  as  you  would  the  nature  of  an  animal; 
study  his  peculiarities  in  criminal  acts,  under  a  new  order  of 
facts  which  are  entirely  independent  of  the  prescribed  rules 
under  which  biology  is  studied.  The  cause  of  the  criminal 
action  should  be  investigated;  not  the  shape  of  his  skull;  the 
prominence  of  his  ears;  the  curl  of  his  lips;  or  the  length  and 
breadth  of  his  thumbs.  These  are  all  well  enough  to%prove 
that  the  man  is  a  criminal.  What  should  be  studied,  is, 
Why  was  he  born  so,  and  what  impels  him  to  commit  criminal 
acts?  To  this  end  the  mind  must  be  investigated,  his  desires 
and  the  causes  which  induce  him  to  commit  crime.  Were 
they  inherent  or  were  they  caused  by  environment.  If  the 


A  STUDY  OF  CRIMINALS.  239 

subject  says,  "I  have  such  strong  desires  that  at  times  I  am 
not  able  to  resist  or  control  them,"  it  would  not  be  wise  to 
say,  "You  are  foolish;  you  can  resist  them  if  you  will  try."  If 
the  investigator  were  an  oculist  and  a  patient  should  say, 
"Doctor,  I  often  see  specks  floating  before  my  eyes,"  would  a 
wise  physician  say,  "Oh,  nonsense!  You  are  all  right;  your 
eyes  are  sound;  it  is  only  a  whim;  you  are  notional."  A 
careful  physician  would  make  a  study  of  the  case,  and  pre- 
scribe accordingly. 

In  a  criminal  case,  note  well  the  evidence  as  to  the  sub- 
ject's feelings  and  desires.  Do  they  affect  him  only  at  certain 
times,  like  the  periodical  drinker,  or  is  it  continual.  If 
periodical,  it  will  be  found,  by  interviewing  the  mother,  that 
she  longed  to  do  at  some  time  preceding  his  birth,  just  what 
the  subject  cannot  resist  doing  periodically. 

It  is  well  known  in  many  cases,  of  men  who  at  times  have 
an  uncontrollable  desire  to  become  intoxicated,  that  it  lasts 
a  short  time,  and  then  not  a  drop  will  they  touch  until  the 
desire  seizes  them  again.  Study  such  cases. 

Illustration:  W.  B.  of  N.  Y.  is  manager  of  a  large 
business.  His  parents  are  strong  temperance  people ;  two  of 
his  brothers  were  ministers.  He  would  get  on  a  spree  every 
six  or  seven  months, — no  exact  record  was  kept — would 
drink  nothing  but  beer,  keep  it  up  a  week  at  a  time,  then 
break  off  and  not  touch  a  drop  until  the  desire  seized  him 
again.  His  mother  said  that  before  his  birth  she  longed  to 
taste  of  beer,  but  refused  to  gratify  the  longing  because  she 
was  opposed  to  everything  of  the  kind.  Another  case  is 
given  to  illustrate  the  effect  of  a  mother's  thought  and 
desires: 

W.  A.  of  I.,  is  a  brutal,  ugly  fellow,  a  thief  and  murderer, 
that  is,  he  attempted  murder  by  cutting  a  man's  throat.  Has 
two  older  brothers  and  one  younger  who  are  good  citizens, 
and  are  respected.  The  mother  said  to  a  friend:  After  she 
discovered  that  she  was  to  become  a  mother  again,  having  two 
children  already,  did  not  want  any  more,  and  felt  like  murder- 


240  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

ing  it  if  she  only  could.  Also  had  an  uncontrollable  desire 
to  steal,  would  go  into  her  husband's  store  and  watch  a 
chance  to  get  into  the  money  drawer.  Was  ignorant  of  what 
the  effect  of  her  mental  condition  would  be  upon  her  child, 
but  is  fully  cognizant  of  it  now,  and  a  firm  believer  in  the 
theory  of  maternal  impressions. 

In  a  scientific  study  of  criminality  and  its  relation  to 
society,  it  will  be  necessary  to  study  the  criminal  as  an 
individual,  in  connection  with  the  conditions  surrounding 
him.  That  is,  the  causes  which  may  have  excited  his  desires, 
thus  leading  him  to  commit  the  crime.  If  the  felony  was  a 
financial  act,  Did  he  steal  to  gratify  a  natural  want?  Was 
it  a  desire  to  satisfy  hunger  or  shelter?  In  such  a  case,  you 
will  no  doubt  find  what  is  termed  on  occasional  criminal. 
Was  it  to  get  money  with  which  to  drink  or  gamble?  In  the 
latter  case  it  may  be  an  instinctive  desire  to  gamble.  Then 
the  inciting  cause  is  a  gambling  mania.  Remember  that  you 
are  after  the  fundamental  cause,  Why  has  he  a  crooked  brain  ? 

All  facts  should  be  carefully  investigated  for  the  conclu- 
sions to  be  of  any  value.  Trace  the  underlying  cause  and  its 
connection  with  poverty.  If  it  be  a  crime  on  the  person  of 
the  weaker  sex,  find  out  if  the  mother  was  sensual  in  her 
nature.  If  she  was  not,  then  she  may  have  had  sensual  long- 
ings previous  to  his  birth ;  this  will  be  difficult  to  get  at,  but 
without  it  your  premise  will  lack  an  important  factor.  When 
drawing  the  conclusion,  weigh  all  the  factors;  his  mentality; 
his  life  history,  which  will  embrace  his  environment,  not 
alone  his  home  surroundings,  but  his  schooling)  and  his 
moral  culture;  also  his  physical  condition;  was  he  sick  and 
needy? 

It  has  been  held  that  heredity  is  the  prime  cause  of  the 
birth  of  criminals;  but  the  facts  do  not  warrant  the  conclu- 
sion. In  the  "Jukes  family,"  the  writer  of  that  work  does 
not  agree  with  the  theory  of  heredity.  Criminals  do  not 
always  produce  criminals.  This  is  shown  by  the  record  of 
the  superintendent  of  the  House  of  Refuge,  on  Randall 


A  STUDY  OF  CRIMINALS.  241 

Island,  N.  Y.,  which  says,  "Among  the  young  offenders  in  my 
charge,  not  one  per  cent,  were  born  of  criminal  parents." 
Ninety-nine  out  of  every  hundred  were  the  product  of  what 
are  called  honest  citizens.  This  proves  that  some  other  factor 
more  powerful  than  heredity  has  been,  and  is  at  work. 

Dr.  Carrie,  of  France,  says:  "The  true  criminal  is  lazy, 
without  remorse,  and  extremely  vain ;  although  cunning,  is  in- 
ferior in  intelligence.  They  are  egotists."  He  also  says, 
"Brain  infirmity  has  its  origin  in  an  arrest  of  development." 
This  would  lead  to  the  conclusion  that  the  development  of  the 
brain  structure  was  retarded  while  it  was  forming.  Dr.  Gar- 
afalo,  of  Italy,  says:  "All  criminals  are  born;  their  moral 
development  is  arrested;  the  influence  of  instruction  is 
almost  null."  It  is  presumed  that  he  refers  to  instinctive 
criminals.  As  has  been  remarked,  six  out  of  seven  male 
criminals  who  have  been  convicted  and  punished,  relapse  into 
crime. 

At  a  prison  congress  held  a  few  years  ago,  the  statement 
was  made,  that  "Out  of  1383  prisoners  in  Sing  Sing,  N.  Y., 
only  120  were  uneducated.  And  of  the  adult  male  convicts 
in  the  Massachusetts  prison,  only  464  out  of  3976  were 
uneducated." 

So  that  the  consensus  of  opinion,  by  those  who  have 
given  the  question  close  study,  is  that  education  does  not 
eliminate  crime.  "It  was  thought  at  one  time  that  education 
would  prevent  crime;  but  we  now  know  that  mere  intellectual 
education  has  very  little  influence  in  preventing  crime. — 
"The  Criminals,  by  Ellis." 

The  games  of  prisoners  proves  their  cruelty.  In  the  Ital- 
ian reformatories,  where  they  are  not  kept  in  solitary  confine- 
ment, Dr.  Carara,  an  Italian  expert,  says,  "Prisoners'  games 
are  often  accompanied  by  bloodshed,  and  it  is  almost  impos- 
sible to  prevent  cruelty."  Innocent  games  of  children 
become  tinctured  with  cruelty.  They  skip  the  rope,  and  part 
of  the  game  is  to  trip  the  jumper,  so  that  he  will  fall  heavily 
upon  the  stone  pavement.  In  blind-man's-buff,  the  blinded 


242  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

one  has  a  handkerchief,  in  one  corner  a  sharp  stone  is  tied, 
with  which  he  strikes  his  pursuers  if  he  can. 

The  characteristic  feature  of  all  prison  games  is  the  love 
of  combat,  and  the  participants  carry  the  scars,  which  are 
considered  honorable.  The  insensibility  to  pain,  that  is  ex- 
hibited in  the  sports  of  criminals,  proves  they  are  less  acute 
in  their  physical  senses,  and  less  sensitive  to  the  pains  of 
others.  What  seems  to  others  as  unusually  cruel,  is  only  the 
natural  thing  with  men  of  criminal  tendencies.  These  games 
are  allowed  by  the  foreign  prison  authorities  upon  the  ground 
of  being  the  means  of  working  off  the  superfluity  of  their 
physical  activity. 

The  conclusion  to  be  drawn  from  the  nature  of  the  prison 
games,  is  that  the  criminal  has  brutish  nature,  and  it  is  shown 
in  the  cruelty  displayed  in  their  games.  They  are  not  only 
brutal,  but  dangerous,  and  belong  to  a  class  of  games  which 
are  common  among  savages,  whose  sports  are  barbaric  in 
their  nature,  such  as  running  the  gauntlet,  with  the  hero's 
indifference  to  torture,  which  is  always  applauded. 

We  do  not  charge  that  college  students  in  their  games  of 
foot-ball  show  the  criminal  nature,  but  they  are  of  the  savage 
nature,  and  if  there  was  no  danger  attending  it  there  would 
be  no  foot-ball  games;  the  element  of  brute  force  is  the 
prime  incentive,  and  shows  the  brute  nature  in  mankind. 
We  state  a  noteworthy  fact,  that  a  majority  of  the  most  in- 
tellectual students,  we  mean  the  deepest  thinkers  and  the 
most  logical  minds,  are  not  lovers  of  such  rude  and  boisterous 
games.  There  is  no  doubt  an  exception  here  and  there,  but 
it  is  the  exception,  and  proves  the  rule.  The  instinct  of 
ferocity  and  love  of  torture,  seems  to  be  retained  by  some 
who  are  gifted  with  the  highest  advantages. 

Note  the  increase  in  the  number  of  outrages  of  public 
decency  in  college  life.  It  fills  the  public  mind  with  fear  as 
to  the  future  of  so-called  educated  men.  It  is  difficult  to 
account  for  it,  except  upon  the  ground  that  mankind  is  inclin- 
ing to  the  barbaric  type.  The  remedy  is  a  better  class  of 


A  STUDY  OF  CRIMINALS.  243 

brain  formation.  Brains  which  are  inclined  to  be  gen  tie-men, 
and  not  brutal-men.  Nothing  comes  out  of  a  man  but  what 
is  in  him.  Why  are  some  members  of  a  family  so  cruel  and 
others  gentle  and  kind,  is  a  problem  for  sociologists.  When 
that  problem  is  solved,  a  remedy  may  be  applied. 

There  is  only  one  positively  sure  method  to  insure  the 
future  generation  against  the  acts  of  criminals.  That  is,  the 
public  must  cease  to  breed  criminals,  and  the  wit  of  the 
ablest  has  been  taxed,  by  the  inquiry,  how  shall  it  be  done? 
We  answer,  by  educating  the  coming  mothers  upon  the  line 
of  reproduction,  or  maternal  impressions.  The  two  classes  of 
criminals  which  have  been  mentioned,  are  subdivided  by 
the  penologist  into: 

First — The  Accidental  Criminal. 
Second — The  Habitual  Criminal. 
Third— The  Criminal  from  Passion. 
Fourth — The  Professional  Criminal. 
Fifth — The  Occasional  Criminal. 
Sixth — The  Instinctive  Criminal. 

The  accidental  criminals  are  numerous.  Among  them  are 
many  of  naturally  good  instincts;  they  have  been  led  into 
vice  and  crime,  because  they  are  so  constituted  that  they  lack 
the  decision  of  character  to  enable  them  to  say  no,  when 
tempted.  They  are  deficient  in  the  ability  to  discern  the  nice 
distinctions  between  right  and  wrong,  and  to  know  where 
the  path  diverges.  In  youth,  through  environment,  they  are 
misled  by  passing  fancies,  which  are  disastrous;  notions  that 
at  times  verge  upon  criminality  in  their  results.  Humanity 
is  liable  to  indulge  in  immoral  fancies,  when  there  is  a  lack 
of  moral  will  power,  and  each  repetition  of  the  act,  strength- 
ens the  desire,  and  the  actions  merge  into  crime. 

The  habitual  criminal  is  a  criminal  from  habit;  is  gener- 
ally of  a  weak  moral  character,  unable  to  resist  his  inclina- 
tions and  associations,  which,  with  the  element  of  time,  and 
continued  environment,  with  a  repetition  of  criminal  acts,  the 
force  of  habit  predominates;  his  will  is  not  strong  enough  to 


244  MATERIAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 

overcome  the  environment,  his  habits  of  life  and  associates 
lead  him  to  commit  criminal  acts.    This  class  is  closely  allied 
J''  to  the  first — the  accidental  criminal. 

The  third — The  criminal  from  passion — is  usually  a  man 
of  good  instincts,  who  for  some  real  or  fancied  wrong  to  him- 
self or  his  friends,  takes  upon  himself  the  right  to  administer 
justice.  Such  persons  never  repeat  the  act.  It  is  a  lesson 
they  never  forget,  and  they  are  therefore  not  dangerous  to 
society.  An  investigation  of  such  a  case  will  not  throw  any 
light  upon  the  question  of  criminality. 

The  fourth — The  professional  criminal — is  usually  in- 
telligent, guided  by  rational  motives,  takes  his  chances  volun- 
tarily, lays  his  plans,  and  if  liable  to  detection  postpones  his 
action.  To  this  class  belong  the  successful  forgers,  and 
embezzlers,  bank  burglars,  and  the  smooth-tongued  swindler, 
who  imposes  his  fraudulent  paper  upon  the  bank,  the  keen- 
witted counterfeiter  who  so  often  evades  the  clutches  of  the 
Officers  of  the  law,  and  the  sleek  swindler  who  gets  a  farmer 
to  sign  a  receipt  or  contract  which  turns  up  at  the  bank  as  a 
note. 

When  the  average  man  is  in  the  presence  of  one  of  these 
high-grade  professional  criminals,  he  instinctively  feels  that 
he  is  in  close  communion  with  a  mental  peer.  Investigating 
such  a  character  will  only  be  a  waste  of  time  for  the  student 
of  causation. 

The  fifth  class — The  occasional  criminal — is  one  who  only 
commits  crime  when  a  good  opportunity  offers;  not  because 
of  any  innate  desire,  nor  from  cruel  motive;  he  is  actuated 
by  some  passion,  and  thinks  the  crime  will  never  be  discov- 
ered, or  by  a  desire  for  gain.  It  is  usually  a  financial  crime 
which  he  commits,  which  will  enable  him  to  gratify  some 
selfish  desire;  something  beyond  his  means.  To  this  class 
belong  the  petty  thieves,  known  as  sneak  thieves,  and  clerks, 
who  tap  their  employer's  till. 

The  sixth  and  last — the  instinctive  criminal — opens  a  wide 
field  for  the  student  of  criminology,  and  if  the  cases  under 


A  STUDY  OF  CRIMINALS.  245 

investigation  are  carefully  studied  by  taking  all  factors  into 
consideration  which  have  a  bearing  upon  the  subject,  a  great 
deal  of  light  will  be  thrown  upon  the  question  of  the  cause  of 
criminality.  The  instinctive  criminal  has  impulses  so  strong^ 
and  his  morality  is  so  weak,  that  he  will  commit  the  crime  be- 
cause of  an  uncontrollable  desire,  and  the  knowledge  that  he 
will  be  found  out  does  not  restrain  him;  he  cannot  resist  his 
desires.  His  passionate  desire  comes  from  within,  ever  gnaw- 
ing at  his  moral  edifice,  until  it  crumbles,  and  his  nature  as- 
serts itself.  He  is  lacking  in  morally  healthy  brain  structure; 
his  will  is  anything  but  free.  He  is  entirely  governed  by  or- 
ganic conditions;  never  has  any  remorse  for  his  acts,  and  is  a 
moral  idiot.  To  him  the  criminal  act  is  not  a  sin,  any  more 
than  any  other  natural  desire.  The  element  of  what  society 
calls  wrong-doing,  seems  to  be  the  basic  principle  of  his  com- 
position. In  the  presence  of  the  instinctive  criminal,  one 
feels  that  he  is  looking  at  a  moral  monstrosity,  as  he  would  if 
he  were  looking  at  a  hideous  physical  deformity,  and  a  careful 
study  of  such  cases  will  amply  repay  the  student  of  causation. 

If  possible,  see  the  mother  and  inquire  into  her  mental 
condition  during  the  year  of  the  birth  of  the  subject.  Re- 
member that  the  element  of  time  has  interfered,  and  she  may 
have  forgotten,  even  if  willing  to  inform  the  student;  also  the 
mother's  bias  in  which  she  is  liable  to  overlook  his  bad  traits, 
and  enlarge  upon  his  good  qualities;  take  her  statement  with 
many  grains  of  allowance. 

An  insane  criminal  need  not  be  investigated,  unless  it  is 
clearly  shown  to  be  congenital;  in  that  case  the  mother  is  the 
only  one  that  can  be  used  as  evidence,  as  no  reliable  data 
could  be  had  from  the  subject.  The  insanity  may  have  been 
caused  by  sickness,  accidental  injury,  fright,  or  he  may  be  an 
epileptic;  in  either  case  it  will  be  of  no  value  in  the  study. 

A  significant  fact,  in  connection  with  criminals,  is.  that 
in  all  prisons,  imbecile  and  lunatic  asylums,  there  is  a 
peculiar  odor,  exhaled  by  the  inmates  and  which  is  never 
found  among  well-balanced  human  beings.  It  is  known 


246  MATERXAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

as  the  prison  odor,  and  has  no  resemblance  to  any  other 
human  exhalation.  Upon  entering  an  asylum  and  going 
into  the  wards,  it  will  not  be  at  once  perceived  by  the  sense 
pf  smell,  as  are  other  fetid  odors,  but  imperceptibly  there  is 
a  peculiar  taste  which  creates  a  desire  to  expectorate,  and  a 
feeling  as  though  something  needed  to  be  scraped  from  one's 
tongue.  It  can  not  be  eradicated  by  any  known  system  of 
disinfection,  nor  do  open  windows  and  fresh  air  remove  it. 
The  officials  at  asylums  say,  that  it  is  the  exhalation  from  the 
bodies  of  imperfectly  formed  human  beings,  that  is,  mentally 
imbalanced  persons.  This  does  not  refer  to  physical  deform- 
ities. It  is  always  present  in  the  case  of  an  imperfectly 
developed  mentality,  to  a  greater  or  lesser  degree. 

Criminologists  say  that  the  congenital  criminal  tends  to 
the  sugar  loaf  form  of  head,  which  is  caused  by  a  defective 
organization.  Undoubtedly  by  this  is  meant  that  there  is 
more  brain  substance  in  the  top  of  the  head,  which  would 
give  the  sugar  loaf  form.  It  can  also  be  observed  in  the  case 
of  many  insane  persons.  If  this  conclusion  of  criminologists 
is  correct,  it  adds  evidence  in  favor  of  the  theory  of  maternal 
impressions,  as  a  factor  of  prime  importance,  and  lends  ad- 
ditional weight  to  the  theory  that  the  mother  is  the  cause  of 
her  child's  criminality,  as  she  shapes  the  brain  structure  in 
an  abnormal  manner,  and  it  cannot  be  attributed  to  heredity 
or  atavism. 

Some  writers  mention  the  pallor  of  the  skin  as  an  evi- 
dence of  criminality;  one  says  that  he  found  it  in  14  per  cent. 
of  criminals  and  only  3  per  cent,  of  normal  persons.  Others 
attribute  it  to  confinement,  but  this  has  not  been  satisfac- 
torily demonstrated,  as  well  known  "trusties" — prisoners  who 
are  allowed  liberties,  and  such  as  do  the  work  of  servants, 
and  not  closely  confined — are  also  known  to  have  the  pallor  of 
skin  mentioned.  The  first  theory  is  that  the  pallor  of  the 
skin  is  due  "to  cerebral  congestion."  This  conclusion  should 
not  be  accepted  without  closer  investigation.  To  demon- 
strate the  phenomena  of  skin  pallor,  criminals  that  have 


A  STUDY  OF  CRIMINALS.  247 

never  used  intoxicants  should  be  examined  as  a  distinct  class, 
and  if  similar  results  are  obtained  the  conclusion  might  be 
accepted. 

The  writer  suggests  another  line  of  investigation  for 
pallor  of  skin,  which  would  be  well  to  study.  Investigate 
the  pallid  criminals  upon  the  theory  that  through  the  inordi- 
nate use  of  intoxicants  the  extremities  are  liable  to  bloat; 
the  bloating  destroys  the  minute  blood  vessels  on  the  surface 
of  the  skin,  and  after  the  subject  is  confined,  he  is  unable  to 
get  his  usual  supply  of  liquor,  the  bloat  disappears,  that  is, 
the  alcohol  is  eliminated,  and  the  blood  does  not  return  to  its 
original  channels.  The  small  blood  vessels  having  lost  their 
activity,  thus  making  the  pallor. 

The  writer  knew  a  young  man  aged  thirty,  who  had  been 
a  hard  drinker;  when  last  seen  he  had  not  drank  a  drop  for 
six  years,  was  perfectly  healthy,  but  had  that  deathly  pallor 
of  skin  which  the  writer  has  noticed  in  prisoners.  This 
theory  needs  demonstration  before  definite  conclusions  are 
drawn.  "A  pleasing,  well-formed  face  is  never  found  among 
instinctive  criminals."  There  is  always  a  lack  of  "some- 
thing" to  round  it  out  or  to  complete  a  harmonious  ap- 
pearance. 

Dr.  Murro,  of  Italy,  investigated  the  habits  and  ancestry 
of  five  hundred  criminals  at  the  prison  of  Turin,  also  one 
hundred  normal  persons,  and  says  that  he  "Found  disastrous 
degeneration  among  the  children  of  parents  who  were  past 
the  middle  age."  But  he  adds  that  his  conclusions  are  not 
positive,  and  the  research  was  not  wholly  satisfactory. 

A  careful  research  shows  that  Dr.  Murro  overlooked  an 
important  factor.  He  should  have  inquired  into  the  finan- 
cial condition  of  those  elderly  mothers,  and  what  effect  it 
may  have  had  upon  their  minds,  at  a  period  of  a  few  months 
preceding  the  birth  of  the  child.  Were  they  abundantly 
able  to  provide  for  their  wants,  or  were  they  poor  and  needy, 
and  with  a  desire  to  steal  for  the  purpose  of  providing  for 
the  expected  offspring.  This  would  have  an  important  bear- 


248  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

ing  in  the  light  of  maternal  impressions.  Did  the  mother 
long  for  more  means  to  enable  her  to  supply  herself  with 
necessaries  for  her  prospective  offspring?  It  would  be  but 
natural,  for  a  mother,  who  is  past  the  middle  age  to  feel  that 
she  was  more  needy  and  helpless  at  her  time  of  life  than  at 
any  earlier  period. 

The  examination  should  be  extended,  in  the  case  of  a 
murderous  character,  as  to  the  mother's  feelings  at  the  time. 
Did  she  feel  ugly  and  cross  to  know  that  she  must  be  bothered 
with  a  child  to  care  for,  when  she  was  perhaps  unable  to 
support  herself?  A  middle  aged  prospective  mother's  mental 
state  differs  from  the  young  and  active  person.  The  affec- 
tions, as  well  as  all  other  powers,  are  waning,  and  if  the 
mother  is  a  depraved  and  ignorant  person,  its  effects  must  be 
much  more  serious  to  the  forming  brain  than  if  that  mother 
was  young  and  imbued  with  a  lively  sense  of  her  obligations 
to  herself  and  to  her  offspring.  All  these  factors  must  be 
taken  into  account;  if  not,  the  deduction  will  be  unreliable. 
A  writer  in  the  North  American  Review  says:  "Criminologists 
are  all  wrong,  and  criminals  can  be  reclaimed;  eighty  per  cent. 
of  the  prisoners  that  I  came  in  contact  with  became  good 
citizens."  In  his  argument  the  gentleman  inclines  to  trans- 
cendentalism; relies  upon  something  supernatural.  When  it 
is  considered  that  this  writer  can  only  report  as  to  the  behav- 
ior of  those  he  knew,  and  must  have  been  unable  to  follow 
all  of  them  into  private  life  until  their  death,  we  assert  that 
he  could  not  find  out  all  the  facts  in  regard  to  the  criminal's 
after  life,  for  two  reasons:  First — The  state  does  not  provide 
means  for  such  investigation,  and,  Second — Officers  of  public 
reformatories  have  no  time  to  visit  their  discharged  and 
usually  roving  ex-wards.  The  North  American  Review 
writer  stands  alone  in  his  opposition  to  all  the  evidence  of 
prison  congresses,  reports  of  prison  wardens,  government  in- 
spectors and  prison  surgeons,  from  all  over  the  world. 

Such  isolated  articles  do  not  produce  a  shadow  of  conclu- 
sive evidence  to  corroborate  their  argument,  and  are  simply 


THE  STUDY  OF  CRTMIXALS.  249 

opinions  based  upon  insufficient  evidence.  More  proof  must 
be  furnished  by  such  writers,  before  their  conclusions  can  be 
accepted,  when  such  men  as  warden  Brush,  of  Sing  Sing, 
(now  deceased)  reported  that  six  out  of  every  seven  male 
convicts  are  returned  to  prison  after  release,  and  prison 
statistics  corroborate  the  statement.  When  that  writer  has  a 
full  and  complete  life  history  of  the  eighty  per  cent,  of  his 
criminal  acquaintances  who  have  reformed,  and  remained  re- 
formed, then  the  opinion  will  have  weight. 

Education,  so  far  as  the  prevention  of  crime  is  concerned, 
is  conceded  to  be  a  failure,  and  is  only  effective  in  the  case  of 
that  large  class  of  humanity  who  are  between  the  two  ex- 
tremes; that  is,  between  those  who  are  born  good — who  would 
not  become  criminals  in  any  case — and  the  instinctive  crim- 
inal. 

The  superintendent  of  the  Illinois  Reform  school  says: 
"The  longer  we  live  the  more  it  is  impressed  upon  our  hearts 
that  education,  science,  philosophy,  and  the  individual  arts, 
have  not,  nor  can  they  cure  the  born  criminal  whose  crime 
exerts  itself  in  the  morning,  noon  and  evening  of  life.  He  is 
as  tangible  as  matter,  and  as  dangerous  as  a  pestilence." 

Prof.  Nicolays  says:  "If  defective  education  is  the  cause 
of  every  evil  in  the  human  family,  then  there  should  be  less 
morality  in  the  country  than  in  the  city,  the  sense  of  duty 
should  be  stronger  in  the  one  who  has  had  a  higher  educa- 
tion, but  the  contrary  is  true."  The  cities  contain  three-tenths 
of  the  whole  number  of  inhabitants,  and  they  furnish  five- 
tenths,  or  half,  of  all  the  criminals. 

Dr.  Proal  says:  "Instruction  is  not  sufficient  to  repress 
crime;  many  schools  have  been  opened,  but  no  prisons  closed." 
We  must  educate  the  coming  mothers;  teach  them  how  to 
produce  offspring  who  will  be  able  to  resist  the  temptation  to 
commit  acts  which  are  detrimental  to  themselves  as  well  as 
society  at  large. 


250  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIOXS. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

CONCLUSION. 

There  are  some  super-sensitive  and  extremely  prudish 
persons,  who  say:  "It  is  not  fair  to  single  out  the  mothers; 
laying  the  entire  blame  upon  them,  without  putting  a  share 
of  it  upon  the  father."  This  is  a  species  of  self-justification, 
and  the  neglect  to  place  the  responsibility  where  it  belongs  is 
essentially  wicked,  as  it  is  an  attempt  to  suppress  the  truth. 
Such  critics  admit  that  mothers  should  know  the  truth,  but 
they  imply  that  only  part  of  it  should  be  taught ;  by  omitting 
the  whole  truth  there  is  committed  the  sin  of  omission. 

'Tis  true,  I  have  laid  but  little  stress  upon  the  father's  re- 
sponsibility, for  when  the  subject  is  critically  analyzed,  it  is 
found  that  the  father  is  but  a  small  factor,  when  compared  to  the 
mother's  mental  influence,  taken  in  connection  with  her  phys- 
ical being.  In  the  mother  rests  the  power  to  alter  the  struct- 
ure of  her  child,  for  weal  or  for  woe.  The  reader  should  not 
infer  that  there  is  no  responsibility  resting  upon  the  father. 
The  father  is  responsible  for  the  mother's  environment,  and 
through  it  he  is  responsible  for  her  equable  temperament  at 
such  a  time.  Mothers  should  be  doubly  protected,  first,  by 
a  strong  public  sentiment  which  would  condemn  any  man  who 
misused  his  wife  at  such  periods ;  and,  second,  stringent  laws 
should  be  passed,  with  severe  penalties,  to  punish  a  man  who 
in  any  sense  abuses  his  wife,  while  in  such  a  condition,  not 
alone  because  of  the  mother,  but  for  the  future  welfare  of  the 
child  and  good  of  society. 


CONCLUSION.  251 


If  I  have  made  out  a  case  in  favor  of  maternal  impression, 
then  it  is  plainly  evident  that  something  must  be  done  by  the 
sociologists  of  the  age  to  prevent  the  procreation  of  immoral 
brains.  The  quicker  good  men  and  women  lay  aside  that 
false  modesty,  which  is  essentially  immoral,  and  thoughtfully 
study  the  vital  problem,  what  can  be  done  for  the  betterment 
of  the  human  race,  from  the  stand-point  of  common  sense, 
the  sooner  will  the  criminal  classes  who  are  irreclaimable,  and 
upon  whom  time,  energy  and  means  are  wasted,  be  eliminated 
from  the  care  and  consequent  supervision  of  humantarians; 
placed  under  police  supervision,  which  will  in  the  course  of 
time  eradicate  them,  and  through  proper  instruction  future 
mothers  will  produce  a  better  standard  of  brain  power,  and 
the  result  will  be,  a  cleaner,  brighter,  nobler  manhood  and 
womanhood,  who  will  occupy  the  places  now  filled  by  imper- 
fectly constructed  human  beings.  After  a  thoughtful  exam- 
ination of  the  entire  subject,  pro  and  con,  I  am  compelled  to 
re-assert: 

That  the  mothers  are  the  sole  arbiters  of,  and  are  the  only 
ones  in  whom  the  power  rests,  to  map  out  the  life  destiny  of 
their  offspring.  The  objections  which  have  been  advanced 
are  not  sufficient  to  overcome  the  great  benefit  to  mankind  in 
teaching  the  truths  of  maternal  impressions. 

Having  come  to  this  conclusion,  I  may  be  allowed  to  par- 
aphrase a  great  reformer.  Here  I  take  my  stand,  rise  or  fall 
I  stake  my  humble  reputation  upon  the  facts  as  presented  in 
this  work,  and  the  conclusions  drawn  from  them.  If  the 
reader  is  convinced  that  the  theory  of  maternal  impressions 
is  correct,  then  the  question  remains,  What  is  each  one's 
duty? 

With  the  earnest  and  confident  assurance  that  by  a  careful 
and  thorough  comprehension  of  the  subject  of  Maternal  Im- 
pressions by  the  coming  parents,  humanity  will  be  elevated, 
thus  placing  it  upon  a  higher  plane  o-f  civilization,  this  work 
is  thoughtfully  submitted. 


252  MATERNAL  IMPRESSIONS. 

MATERNAL   IMPRESSIONS   IN   ANIMALS. 

The  following  cases  are  inserted  to  start  some  one  on  a 
line  of  investigation  of  varieties  in  animals: 

Mr.  Mock  of  Spring  Creek,  Ky.,  had  a  setter  slut  with  pup. 
One  day  two  Italians  accompanied  by  a  performing  bear  came 
into  the  yard,  the  dog  heard  them,  started  out  of  the  house  on 
a  keen  run,  in  her  usual  lively  manner,  emitting  sharp  yelps. 
The  bear  heard  her,  and  as  she  came  to  the  corner  of  the 
house,  he  raised  on  his  hind  feet,  and  the  dog  ran  squarely 
into  the  bear,  head  first,  then  sprang  away  quickly,  sneaked  off, 
and  seemed  to  have  lost  her  spirits  all  at  once.  Mr.  Mock 
noticed  it,  and  asked  the  Italians  what  had  happened,  and  as 
he  was  somewhat  of  a  philosopher,  he  decided  to  note  the  re- 
sult; when  she  littered,  which  was  in  his  office,  he  happened 
to  be  in  at  the  time.  The  dog  turned  and  saw  what  she  had 
produced.  The  pups  looked  like  bear  cubs,  claws  and  all. 
She  grabbed  one  of  them  and  crushed  it  in  her  mouth.  Mr. 
Mock  saw  that  she  intended  to  kill  them,  took  the  other  three 
and  fed  them  by  hand.  The  dog  tried  to  get  the  others,  and 
did  succeed  in  killing  two  more  of  them  within  a  few  days. 
When  the  remaining  pup  was  three  weeks  old,  Mr.  Mock  had 
business  from  home  for  the  entire  day.  He  took  the  remain- 
ing pup  and  placed  it  in  a  squirrel  cage  and  hung  it  to  the 
ceiling,  so  that  the  mother  dog  could  not  get  at  it  if  she  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  into  the  office.  She  did  get  into  the  office, 
which  was  deserted,  and  barked  so  long  and  so  loud,  that  one 
of  the  men  who  knew  nothing  of  the  case,  thinking  that  some 
one  had  put  it  up  there  to  plague  her,  took  the  cage  down. 
He  saw  that  it  was  a  freak  and  tried  to  hang  it  back  when  the 
mother  bit  him  in  the  leg  so  that  he  dropped  the  cage  and 
ran.  She  tore  the  wires  apart,  killed  the  pup  and  choked 
herself  to  death  in  her  frantic  endeavors  to  free  herself. 

Related  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  McKee,  pastor  of  the  North  La 
Crosse,  Wis.,  First  Presbyterian  Church,  who  vouches  as  to  the 
facts.  It  cannot  be  verified  as  Mr.  Mock  is  dead. 

The  question  is  why  did  that  mother  try  so  hard  to  kill 


MA  TERXA  L  IMPRESSIONS  IN  ANIMA  LS.  253 

her  young?  It  is  a  problem  for  some  philosopher.  "We  give 
it  up. 

A  stock  breeder  had  a  blooded  cow  with  calf.  While  lying 
down  her  tail  froze  in  the  manure,  and  when  the  cow  got  up 
she  tore  it  so  that  it  bled.  When  Mr.  P.  saw  it,  three  hogs 
were  following  her  around  the  yard,  jumping  up  to  catch  the 
warm  blood  which  was  flowing  from  the  injured  tail.  He 
bound  up  the  wound  and  put  her  in  the  barn.  Five  months 
later  she  had  a  calf,  whose  tail  at  maturity  was  only  six  in- 
ches long,  with  a  tuft  at  the  end,  thus  plainly  showing  that 
the  injury  to  the  mother  cow's  tail  stopped  the  development 
of  her  calf's  tail.  Was  this  the  result  of  mental  impressions? 
We  think  it  was. 

The  assistant  superintendent  of  the  Industrial  School  at 
O.,  vouches  for  the  following: 

His  father  is  a  breeder  of  fine  sheep.  In  the  spring  of 
1893,  about  one-third  of  the  lambs  that  were  dropped  were 
black  and  white,  when  they  should  have  been,  according  to 
heredity,  pure  white.  A  careful  investigation  was  made, 
when  a  nest  of  skunks  were  found  under  the  sheep  shed. 
The  skunks  were  destroyed,  and  the  next  season  the  lambs 
were  again  pure  white,  when  heredity  had  full  sway.  The 
cause  of  the  variation  in  the  color  of  the  lambs,  was  the  op- 
eration of  the  ewes'  brain  upon  their  lambs,  caused  by  seeing 
tjie  black  and  white  skunks  who  were  running  among  the 
ewes,  while  they  were  under  the  shed. 

The  list  of  cases  both  in  man  and  animals  could  be  indef- 
definitely  extended,  but  it  would  weary  the  reader.  One  can 
find  corroborative  cases  in  every  neighborhood,  if  a  little 
pains  is  taken. 


THE   END. 


COMMENTS 

Upon  Bayer's  "Maternal.  Impressions,"  by  some  who  have 
seen  the  advance  sheets  only: 

"It  will  create  an  entire  revolution  in  scientific  thought  upon  hered- 
ity and  kindred  subjects." 

"It  is  a  book  that  will  be  read  with  the  greatest  interest." 

"It  throws  a  new  light  upon  a  mysterious  subject,  i.  e.  the  mental 
and  physical  variation  in  mankind." 

"It  will  set  the  wisest  to  thinking  upon  a  line  of  which  they  had 
never  dreamed." 

"It  is  a  book  that  will  be  read  with  the  greatest  interest;  it  upsets 
theories  that  were  supposed  to  be  irrefutable.  Crime  and  criminals  will 
increase,  unless  the  subject  of  Maternal  Impressions  is  comprehended 
and  heeded  by  coming  parents.  The  author  leaves  but  a  small  peg  upon 
which  to  hang  the  theory  of  heredity." 

"It  is  in  its  nature  largely  sociological,  and  intensely  interesting 
from  first  to  last.  The  chapter  to  professionals,  the  one  on  epilepsy, 
and  the  control  of  sex,  are  of  importance  to  every  physician." 

"The  time  is  ripe  for  such  a  book,  it  is  like  timber  ready  for  the 
blaze." 

"It  is  a  book  that  will  sell,  not  by  the  thousands,  but  by  the 
million." 

Note  the  comments  of  some  Christian  pastors: 

"I  recommend  it  to  all  thoughtful  persons ;  it  is  clean,  Christian  and 
instructive,  excellent  in  every  way,  calling  attention  to  matters  but  lit- 
tle understood." 

"No  one  can  take  any  offense  at  anything  contained  in  it." 
Price  $1.00  per  copy.     Address 

JONES  &  KROEGER, 

WINONA,  MINNESOTA. 

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